Honestly, classical archaeology isn't even my favorite branch of archaeology.
On the other hand, I do have to admit the resources for archaeology students in a focus of classics far outreach those of more niche archaeologists; you're not going to find many titles on maritime archaeology for Canadian proto-history, unfortunately.
Outside of my current booklist for fiction novels, I have a line-up of archaeology and classics books I'm excited to get to.
Recently I read and finished The Mighty Dead; Why Homer Matters by Adam Nicolson, which already has a book review published on the site.
My upcoming titles, which I'm reading partly out of interest and partly to provide myself with an advantage in my classes, are as follows:
The Story of Greece and Rome by Tony Spawforth
This text is a 2018 textbook published by Yale University Press, and is directed towards older high-school students and early university students; it provides an overview of Greek and Roman history chronologically, allowing for a good foundation for more extensive research later on in your studies. The author uses both historical literature and archaeology to discuss classical ancient history and to reveal the interconnected histories of Greece and Rome. Currently, I'm only two chapters into the book; when I'm done I'll provide a more thorough review. However, I'm enjoying it thus far and am excited to continue reading.
The Great Cities in History edited by John Julius Norwich
Thames and Hudson published this cumulative guide-book to the histories of various significant cities around the world in 2009; the pages are filled with short commentaries on the historical importance of each city, with every chapter written by a different influential writer and historian. Currently, I've been bouncing around the book, traveling city to city, and enjoying the read in that manner. However, I'm sure reading the book from front to back would also be a pleasant experience. The text also comes with some gorgeous illustrations and photos, so it's a bit of a steal for history buffs and artists alike.
Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
I'll admit, I loaned this to a friend before I was finished reading it. In my fervor to be able to discuss the text with someone, I allowed her to borrow my copy before realizing that it meant I would have to go without until she finished reading. It was my mistake. I've been pining for this book until it was just returned to me today. My copy is quite beat up, as, like most of my books, I bought it from a charity shop. However, the text remains as captivating as within any pristine copy. This was published in London by Vintage Books in 2011 and remains a greatly recommended read (not just by me) for anyone interested in human history, particularly in human pre-history. I'm not ashamed to admit I've been driven to an existential crisis multiple times by this text, and I'm still only at chapter 8 currently.
Greek Art and Archaeology by John Griffiths Pedley
Ah, the textbook of textbooks for a budding classical archaeology student. I was assigned this textbook as a first-year student, and have a love-hate relationship with it as such. This is largely due to the fact that Pedley has the ability to come off as dry, especially to someone whose interest in Archaic pottery is not yet developed. As a second-year reader, I'm enjoying the textbook a lot more; my appreciation for an accurate analysis of Greek architecture and art can not be understated. My current copy was nabbed from a derelict pile of abandoned books in the lobby of a university housing complex; she's a little abused but still beloved. This textbook was printed in 1993 by Prentice Hall, and despite its 30th birthday looming, is still a must-have for classical archaeology students (at least those in Ireland). I've not yet read the entirety of the book, as it weighs almost the equivalent of a two-year-old toddler, but it's definitely interesting and most definitely important for a university student to peruse.
Hopefully, I'll have all four managed by the next month; if not, the blame lies on my new addiction to the PC game Sea of Thieves and my inevitably chaotic move from Dublin to New York in the next week.
November 30th also marks the end of submissions for my university magazine, Iris, so I'll be pouring over articles from other history buffs, from an analysis of Plato in a 1990's anime to the omittance of African archaeology from mainstream publications.
If I don't reemerge from the avalanche of papers and texts in my bedroom, do not mourn for me; I died doing what I love.
^ The translation for the Pantheon is "Marcus Agrippa, the son of Lucius, consul three times, built this".
Gotta love Latin abbreviations.
My next book review will be for the Latin textbooks I somehow managed to purchase for only 5 euros.
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