Gods, Graves, and Scholars by C.W. Ceram
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This book, which offered initial inspiration to the likes of Dr. Anna Roosevelt, may just do the same for scores of other aspiring archaeologists.
C.W. Ceram is a pseudonym used by Kurt W. Marek. Marek was born in WWI Berlin and earned his living as a newspaperman, a drama critic and even a publisher before turning his many talents to writing. Gods, Graves, and Scholars , his first book, was published in 1951 and has since gained worldwide recognition and been published in over 20 languages.
Subtitled,The Story of Archaeology, this book gives interested beginners a great place to start researching this vast topic. Throughout the pages archaeological novices will find themselves introduced to the pioneers of this science and the discoveries that made them famous. Those expecting a dull, textbook version of events will be sorely disappointed.
Ceram gives readers insight into the very beginnings of archaeology as he relates stories of the finding of Pompeii and the rise and fall of J.J. Winckelmann, whose writings introduced archaeology to the world.
In Gods, you are invited to travel along with Heinrich Schliemann as he uncovers the wonders of the city of Troy. Schliemann was not an archaeologist, but a merchant and something of a prodigy, who could read and speak over 7 languages. Therefore, his archaeological methods left something to be desired.
Because of his rough methods of excavation and his lack of interest in cataloguing or recording finds that may have been of importance, many modern day archaeologists feel Schliemann does not deserve recognition for his accomplishments in the field of archaeology. However, one thing is certain. Schliemann, regardless of his methods, achieved results that others had not managed to achieve in many years. His place in archaeological history seems pretty secure.
Soon, Ceram departs the world of Schliemann and casually drops you into Napoleonic France. Another child prodigy, Jean-Francois Champollion came onto the scene in December 1790. Ceram leads readers by the hand through the extraordinary events of Champollion's life.
Champollion, like Schliemann, also showed an unusual talent for languages and early in life he mastered Latin, Greek and Hebrew. By the time Champollion was 12, he had written his first book. His love of the written language led him to accomplish many things, including writing a dictionary of the Coptic language. Ultimately, it was his study of the Coptic language that helped him achieve his greatest accomplishment of all, the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
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