Mesopotamian Archaeology: a review

Extract

It is a mark of a discipline's maturity when scientists begin to show an interest in I the history of their science. This book by a distinguished archaeologist.might then be welcomed if only as a mark that archaeology has reached that degree of maturity. But of course the book's merits go far beyond that and will indeed appeal to many who are not archaeologists in any sense.

The story of archaeological exploration in Mesopotamia is highly instructive and romantic, but also tragic. The author tells it well in an attractive prose style with a few happily chosen illustrations reproduced from early 19th century originals. More than half the volume is occupied by biographical accounts of those who laid the foundations of Western knowledge of the monuments of Iraq, from 16th century merchant-voyagers who casually mentioned them to Botta and Layard who began to excavate them. Lloyd has the power to pick out and vividly recapitulate such incidents in the actors’ lives as shall bring out their characters without distracting attention from the central theme. At the same time he uses their descriptions of scenery and customs, often sharply contrasted with those he knows so well today, to build up a rich and variegated panorama of the natural and human background of Mesopotamian archaeology. Students of Near Eastern civilization who have not themselves had the opportunity of visiting even Mosul, Baghdad, Ur and Basra will find these passages, in which 19th century observations are illuminated by comparison with contemporary experiences, extremely helpful.