This work has been conceived by the author as an enlarged version of the original volume Il libro manoscritto: Introduzione alla codicologia, already published in this series (n 124). At a time when the breaking down of political and ideological barriers has become an urgent necessity, investigating the science of the book before Gutenberg, i.e., Codicology, considered by the author in its entirety - the history of the ancient and medieval book and the relative manufacturing techniques up to its modern-day place of conservation, and the history of studies undertaken - goes beyond the confines of Greek and Latin civilisations of the western academic tradition. In an attempt at comparative methodology, allowing an improved reading of many artisanal book production phenomena, where possible, those cultures which have come into contact with our own are presented; from East to West, above all Byzantium, the age-old, multi-ethnic empire which gathered and salvaged both Roman and Greek civilisations, an inheritance which it enhanced with cultural and linguistic practices, as well as book and artistic techniques from a diversity of backgrounds.

The Handbook of East and Southeast Asian Archaeology focuses on the material culture and lifeways of the peoples of prehistoric and early historic East and Southeast Asia; their origins, behavior and identities as well as their biological, linguistic and cultural differences and commonalities. Emphasis is placed upon the interpretation of material culture to illuminate and explain social processes and relationships as well as behavior, technology, patterns and mechanisms of long-term change and chronology, in addition to the intellectual history of archaeology as a discipline in this diverse region. The Handbook augments archaeologically-focused chapters contributed by regional scholars by providing histories of research and intellectual traditions, and by maintaining a broadly comparative perspective. Archaeologically-derived data are emphasized with text-based documentary information, provided to complement interpretations of material culture. The Handbook is not restricted to art historical or purely descriptive perspectives; its geographical coverage includes the modern nation-states of China, Mongolia, Far Eastern Russia, North and South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.

Acknowledgements; Preface; I. The Scientific Expedition - The Curtain Rises; II. First news: The Youthful Bacchus; III. Five men and a Crowbar; IV. A regular nest of statues; V. The right hand holds a snake; VI. Arrival of H.M.S. Assurance; VII. Near the centre of the City; VIII. The head wreathed with grapes; IX. Without a sign of a ship; X. Departure on H.M.S. Melpomene; XI. The Curtain Falls; XII. The Photographic Apparatus; XIII. Porchers Watercolours; XIV. Epilogue; Plates.

Archaeoseismic research provides data and information on past earthquakes but is limited by the lack of ongoing discussions about methodology. This volume is an interdisciplinary approach including archaeologists, geologists, geophysicists, seismologists, engineers, and architects from different countries to present a comprehensive recording and interpretation of ancient natural disasters on some case studies. The publication is an introduction to various aspects of the field of archaeoseismology for the knowledge of past seismicity, the reconstruction of the chronological history of a place, the interpretation and identification of seismic effects using different methods, etc. The collection provides an overview of research into archaeoseismology, making new contributions through innovative ideas on various topics. The publication can be an illustrative introduction to better understand the complexity of interpreting seismic effects on ancient and modern masonries, particularly for students with an open mind.

Kniha přináší přes čtyřicet příspěvků mezinárodního kolektivu autorů a jejím záměrem je především shromáždit a popsat střípky předchozích, zapomenutých způsobů života. Lidský život a evoluce překlenuje různé historické epochy i místa, osud člověka se však zdá neúprosný, protože svědkové, vzpomínky i hmatatelné důkazy lidské existence se nevyhnutelně vytrácejí. Kniha současně odráží výsledky široké, mezinárodní spolupráce Jiřího A. Svobody, významného vědce, s autory příspěvků, včetně těch, kteří se jeho dílem inspirují.