Addison-Wesley Longman, 1998. No archaeologist can match Fagan's contributions to educating the public about archaeology, from his textbooks to his columns in Archaeology magazine. This volume continues one thread in his recent works, a demonstration of how science is used in archaeology, but in this case, concentrating on belief systems and the sacred. Topical, temporal, and area coverage is vast and delightfully comparative. Fagan's 13 principal examples range from interpretations of Upper Paleolithic cave art in France and San rock art in South Africa to the megaliths of Avebury and Stonehenge in England, to the complex religions of the Maya and Aztec, each chosen to present particular archaeological manifestations of the sacred such as fertility, death, ancestors, and sacred landscapes.
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Fagan has a gift for explaining complex topics simply, yet he rarely oversimplifies. From Black Land to Fifth Sun is an engaging book and a terrific model for archaeologists to use when they communicate their findings to the public. All rights are reserved. Please see the Trademarks Notice .