History of Archaeology

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About the Book The exact origins of archaeology as a discipline are uncertain. Excavations of ancient monuments and the collection of antiquities have been taking place for thousands of years. Tentative steps towards archaeology as a science took place during the Age of Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Archaeology in the Middle East began with the study of the ancient Near East by Muslim historians in the medieval Islamic world who developed an interest in learning about pre-Islamic cultures. In particular, they most often concentrated on the archaeology and history of pre-Islamic Arabia, Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. In Egyptology, the first known attempts at deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs were made in Islamic Egypt by Dhul-Nun al-Misri and Ibn Wahshiyya in the 9th century.

About the Author Ashish Mishra Born in Western U.P. District of Bulandshahar have M.A. Degree in History from Choudhary Charan Singh University Meerut. After completing his post graduation in History from C.C.S. University he did his Ph.D. from University of Lucknow, Department of History. He has more than two dozen articles and many working papers on Social Science, Writing and Editing to his credit. He has written many books on Social work and Rural Studies.

Preface The exact origins of archaeology as a discipline are uncertain. Excavations of ancient monuments and the collection of antiquities have been taking place for thousands of years. Tentative steps towards archaeology as a science took place during the Age of Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Archaeology in the Middle East began with the study of the ancient Near East by Muslim historians in the medieval Islamic world who developed an interest in learning about pre-Islamic cultures. In particular, they most often concentrated on the archaeology and history of pre Islamic Arabia, Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. In Egyptology, the first known attempts at deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs were made in Islamic Egypt by Dhul-Nun al-Misri and Ibn Wahshiyya in the 9th century. It has recently been argued by Okasha El Daly that these Arab scholars at least partly understand what was written in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, by relating them to the contemporary Coptic language used by Coptic priests in their time. However, El Daly's claims are considered over-reaching by other scholars.

Introduction The exact origins of archaeology as a disciplined study are uncertain. Excavations of ancient monuments and the collection of antiquities have been taking place for thousands of years. The terms "excavations" and "collection" can, however, cover a multitude of scenarios. In ancient times the Tombs of the Pharoahs of Egypt were looted by graverobbers who probably hoped for financial gain through sale of their plunder. We can contrast this with the endeavours of the Italian Renaissance humanist historian, Flavio Biondo, who created a systematic and documented guide to the ruins and topography of ancient Rome in the early 15th century. Flavio Biondo, is seen by posterity a candidate for consideration as an early founder of archaeology.

**Contents and Sample Pages**