Written by Christina A. Conlee, author of Beyond the Nasca Lines: Ancient Life at La Tiza in the Peruvian Desert “How do you know where to dig?” This is the most common question people ask me when they find out I am an archaeologist. People often think archaeological work is very mysterious. In reality, archaeologists … Continue reading Digging Up a Desert Civilization
Teaching a Medieval Poem in East Los Angeles
Written by Michael Calabrese, author of An Introduction to Piers Plowman . You’ve heard of Chaucer. But do you know Piers Plowman? Let me introduce this marvelous medieval epic: written by William Langland, Piers Plowman is a long allegorical poem from the late 14th century, chronicling the dreams and wanderings of a man named “Will”—the … Continue reading Teaching a Medieval Poem in East Los Angeles
Paddling to Werowocomoco: Powhatan History Before Pocahontas
"I realized that landscape—the spaces where we dwell, the places we recognize, and the pathways in between—offered a way to tie the Werowocomoco excavations to this deep history." In this special guest post, anthropologist Martin Gallivan tells us about a kayaking adventure with his son that inspired him to write a new book about … Continue reading Paddling to Werowocomoco: Powhatan History Before Pocahontas
To Understand Olympics Protests, Look to the Past
Written by Gregg Bocketti, author of The Invention of the Beautiful Game: Football and the Making of Modern Brazil This article first appeared in the Huffington Post. When Brazilian protestors extinguished the Olympic flame last week, they provided another reminder that the Rio de Janeiro games will take place in a country wracked by crisis: the … Continue reading To Understand Olympics Protests, Look to the Past
Dark and Deep: Encountering the Cold War through Archaeology
Written by Todd A. Hanson, author of The Archaeology of the Cold War . It was a late November in St. Paul, Minnesota. Under a snow-dusted suburban backyard, in the darkness of a former Cold War fallout shelter, I stood ankle-deep in ice-cold water. The water was slowly soaking through my hiking boots and wicking its … Continue reading Dark and Deep: Encountering the Cold War through Archaeology
Brothels, Gallows, and Lies: Frontier Alibis
The University Press of Florida is pleased to announce the publication of Mythic Frontiers: Remembering, Forgetting, and Profiting with Cultural Heritage Tourism by Daniel R. Maher. Exploring Wild West tourist sites in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Mythic Frontiers shows how aggrandized versions of the past, especially those of the “American frontier,” have been used to turn a profit. It reveals that popular … Continue reading Brothels, Gallows, and Lies: Frontier Alibis
The Lure of Maya Cities
We are proud to announce the publication of The Ancient Urban Maya: Neighborhoods, Inequality, and Built Form. This new archaeology book describes what ancient Maya cities were like, showing how they drew people in from rural areas with awe-inspiring architecture, neighborhoods that offered community support, and bustling marketplaces. The book is available at a discount price until May 13, 2016 in … Continue reading The Lure of Maya Cities
A Hospital Transformed with Florida’s Amazing Wilderness
Written by Mac Stone, author of Everglades: America’s Wetland I’m a military brat. My dad, Keith Stone was a colonel in the army so we moved around a lot. My oldest brother was born in Virginia, my middle brother was born in Germany, and I was born in Kentucky. Soon after I was born, we … Continue reading A Hospital Transformed with Florida’s Amazing Wilderness
Pirate Archaeology vs. the Archaeology of Piracy
Written by Charles R. Ewen, coeditor of Pieces of Eight: More Archaeology of Piracy The idea behind our previous book, X Marks the Spot, was “how can you tell a pirate from an ordinary sailor?” Pirates are easy to spot in the movies. They have patches, hooks, peglegs, and parrots—or some combination thereof. This imagery can be traced … Continue reading Pirate Archaeology vs. the Archaeology of Piracy
A Collection of Banned Books
Author Jay A. Gertzman's book, Samuel Roth, Infamous Modernist, profiles a man whose work broke down many of the censorship laws of the time. In celebration of the paperback release of his book, Jay Gertzman held a party at which he showcased not only his book but also the books in his collection of banned works. In his … Continue reading A Collection of Banned Books
The Florida Bookshelf 