MAKING FACES (Texas A & M University Anthropology Series)

MAKING FACES (Texas a & M University Anthropology Series)

ReviewMaking Faces is not always easy reading because of an unusually high proportion of convoluted 100-word sentences. What's more, the rather stiff and pedantic style favored by Prag and Neave belies the intrinsic, if not morbid, fascination of their subject matter, sometimes keeping us at arm's length from the individuals about whom they write. Nonetheless, the book is a trove of fascinating, if highly miscellaneous, information about the art and history of the ancient Mediterranean region. -- Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, Ian TattersallUsing what they describe as thoroughly scientific methods, the authors have reconstructed the faces of unidentifiable skulls for the British police, with such success that they have been recruited to make a number of such reconstructions for archaeologists. These jobs require historical research, caution in handling decrepit bones, and some guesswork in filling gaps. The authors' encounters with Philip of Macedon and King Midas lead them into antique medicine and myth. Their work with the badly damaged skulls behind the gold masks at Mycenae produces faces that would look well at the local of commerce. Bog bodies present a different set of problems, handsomely solved. The account given by Mr. Prag and Mr. Neave will please anyone interested in their technique or their subjects. Readers averse to old bones will not benefit from it. -- The Atlantic Monthly, Phoebe-Lou AdamsIntroduces forensic archaeology, describes how human faces are reconstructed from skeletal remains, and explains what this can reveal about the pastErgodebooks.com ReviewForensic archaeology has come into its own in recent years. The science has been making news in odd corners of the world for being used to identify the remains of long-lost Japanese soldiers on remote Pacific islands and for examining whether 19th-century American presidents might have met with foul play. In this accessible study, archaeologists John Prag and Richard Neave look into the world of "making faces"--reconstructing human forms from bits of bone, giving physical presence to the long-since dead. Among their subjects are King Midas of ancient Greek legend and the famous "bog man" of Lindow Moss, England.From Library JournalWritten for the general reader with an interest in the ancient world rather than for the forensic anthropologist, this work details the collaborative efforts of archaeologist Prag and medical artist Neave as they reconstruct the faces of several prominent historical figures. The authors draw on medical, historical, archaeological, and artistic sources to re-create in clay from the cast of skulls the faces they would argue belonged to such famous individuals as King Philip of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great) and King Midas. Prag and Neave argue that facial reconstruction, while controversial within the archaeological community, is not intended to supplant traditional techniques but instead complements those approaches and provides a more complete view of the archaeological record. Their clearly written and engrossing narrative of a pioneering effort has the potential to contribute significantly to archaeological method. Carefully researched and richly illustrated, it is recommended for academic and public libraries with large anthropology collections.?Jim Woodman, Boston AthenaeumCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.