Review by Choice Review
A tribute and memorial to Jim Sauer, former president of the American Schools of Oriental Research, by 64 friends and colleagues. Sauer's prodigious work helped establish an American presence in and awareness of Jordanian archaeology in the 20th century. The volume is of interest to historians of the archaeology in the Middle East and professional archaeologists. The Harvard colleagues who edited the volume must have struggled over organization: articles range far and wide and cover prehistory to the late Middle Ages, but they focus on the Levant and Jordan in particular, a reflection of Sauer's interests and cultivated friendships. Contributions are arranged alphabetically by author but can be roughly divided: historical archaeology (six); history of archaeology (six, not counting four historical tributes and nine letters and commendations); field reports (ten); art and architectural history (six); anthropology (three); pottery analysis (seven--Sauer's original specialization was with pottery sherds); metallurgy (two); literature and philology (three); and ethnography (one). The reader must scan the index of sites for places of interest and the table of contents for subject matter. The format is large and well illustrated. For upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and specialists in the region. S. M. Paley; SUNY at Buffalo
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
