Hellenistic and Roman terracottas /

This collection of 29 essays by scholars expert in their areas of research is a major contribution to the study of terracotta artifacts. It covers a great variety of archaeological contexts--principally religious, domestic, and funerary--throughout the Mediterranean and ancient Near East from the Hellenistic to the late Roman period. Although many of these rather humble, often fragmentary artifacts are not aesthetically pleasing, they are enormously valuable for understanding the interests, beliefs, and practices of ancient non-elite classes. The essays make clear not only that it is often difficult to interpret the meaning and function of artifacts, but also that certain objects may have multiple meanings and functioned in more than one way. The contributors are multinational, and the book is well written and well illustrated. Because of the nature and the subject of the artifacts discussed, this important book will be of more interest to serious scholars, principally those in archaeology and even art history, now that the interests of art historians have broadened. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals. --John Pollini, University of Southern California