Stone Mirror

Reviews / Votes

"Swigart does a marvelous job of showing how archaeology is done and what remarkable ancient artifacts can mean to a diversity of groups, from goddess worshippers to illegal dealers in antiquities" -Bradley T. Lepper, The Columber Dispatch "Stone Mirror is one of those tools that can help an instructor bring archaeology to life in a course on world archaeology and prehistory. The story is a vehicle to teach why we dig and how it happens. It will spur discussion about competing interests in the past, whether these arise from the excavation laborers, the local community, the scientists, government, antiquities traders, or just tourists on a spiritual quest. The distance between 'Then' and 'Now' is palpable, and together they provide dozens of potential teaching moments." -Steven R. Simms, Utah State University "Stone Mirror is an entertaining and informative supplement for courses on the Neolithic or Near Eastern prehistory. The switch between a present-day excavation and an informed, if imaginative, reconstruction of the people responsible for the ruins being excavated provides a fresh perspective. While the depiction of the modern excavation intrigues is perhaps a bit overwrought, the interpretation of life in a Neolithic village puts a human face on the artifacts that archaeologists excavate. Although there is necessarily speculation in Swigart's reconstruction of Neolithic life, he provides an intriguing and plausible interpretation that breathes life into the dusty artifacts that archaeologists retrieve." -Alan H. Simmons, Department of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas "This book, partly based on the rich evidence from Neolithic sites in Turkey such as Catalhoyuk, weaves a fascinating fictional account between the fragments of our scientific evidence. The story brings to life a particular perspective on what has been found, and will be of value for students in archaeology as well as for a wider public." -Ian Hodder, Stanford University