Writing about Archaeology
Writing about Archaeology
In this book, Graham Connah offers an overview of archaeological authorship: its diversity, its challenges, and its methodology. Based on his own experiences, he presents his personal views about the task of writing about archaeology. The book is not intended to be a technical manual. Instead, Connah aims to encourage archaeologists who write about their subject to think about the process of writing. He writes with the beginning author in mind, but the book will be of interest to all archaeologists who plan to publish their work. Connah's overall premise is that those who write about archaeology need to be less concerned with content and more concerned with how they present it. It is not enough to be a good archaeologist. One must also become a good writer and be able to communicate effectively. Archaeology, he argues, is above all a literary discipline.
- An emphasis on the importance of literary skills for archaeologists, particularly useful for beginning archaeological authors
- A personal perspective based on many years of practical experience
- A detailed examination of all aspects of the archaeological writing process
Product details
May 2010Paperback
9780521688512
224 pages
215 × 140 × 15 mm
0.31kg
31 b/w illus. 3 maps
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Creating the canon: the integral role of writing in archaeology
- 2. Learning from others: archaeological writers past and present
- 3. Readership determines form: for whom are we writing?
- 4. Turning data into text: images of the past
- 5. The process of writing:
- 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration
- 6. Visual explanation: pictures that should talk
- 7. Pleasing everyone: writing for different types of publication
- 8. Publishers, editors and referees: devils incarnate or guardian angels?
- 9. The publication process: creating a quality product
- 10. The aftermath: reviewers and readers.
