Description
Discover the captivating narrative behind the remarkable book, The First Fossil Hunters, which unveils how the magnificent fossils of dinosaurs, mammoths, and other long-extinct creatures have influenced some of the most iconic figures in classical mythology. Written by renowned author Adrienne Mayor, this compelling read merges natural history with mythology, leading you on a journey to uncover the origins of Griffin, Centaur, Cyclopes, and Giant legends. Mayor presents a fascinating thesis that these creatures were inspired by fossil evidence found in ancient Greek and Roman lands, as early fossil hunters unearthed the immense bones of prehistoric species. With extensive research and insightful analysis, The First Fossil Hunters illustrates how ancient civilizations came to understand their world through the lens of mythology, grounded in actual discoveries of fossilized remains. This trade paperback edition, published by Princeton University Press in 2023, is a perfect addition for history enthusiasts, mythology lovers, and anyone interested in the link between paleontology and storytelling. Immerse yourself in the storied past of fossil evidence and its enduring impact on human imagination. Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Condition: BRAND NEW. ISBN: 9780691245607. Format: Trade paperback (US). Year: 2023. Publisher: Princeton University Press.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691245607
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2023
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
The fascinating story of how the fossils of dinosaurs, mammoths, and other extinct animals influenced some of the most spectacular creatures of classical mythology
Griffins, Centaurs, Cyclopes, and Giants — these fabulous creatures of classical mythology continue to live in the modern imagination through the vivid accounts that have come down to us from the ancient Greeks and Romans. But what if these beings were more than merely fictions? What if monstrous creatures once roamed the earth in the very places where their legends first arose? This is the arresting and original thesis that Adrienne Mayor explores in The First Fossil Hunters. Through careful research and meticulous documentation, she convincingly shows that many of the giants and monsters of myth did have a basis in fact — in the enormous bones of long-extinct species that were once abundant in the lands of the Greeks and Romans.
As Mayor shows, the Greeks and Romans were well aware that a different breed of creatures once inhabited their lands. They frequently encountered the fossilised bones of these primeval beings, and they developed sophisticated concepts to explain the fossil evidence, concepts that were expressed in mythological stories. The legend of the gold-guarding griffin, for example, sprang from tales first told by Scythian gold-miners, who, passing through the Gobi Desert at the foot of the Altai Mountains, encountered the skeletons of Protoceratops and other dinosaurs that littered the ground.
Like their modern counterparts, the ancient fossil hunters collected and measured impressive petrified remains and displayed them in
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691245607
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2023
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
The fascinating story of how the fossils of dinosaurs, mammoths, and other extinct animals influenced some of the most spectacular creatures of classical mythology
Griffins, Centaurs, Cyclopes, and Giants — these fabulous creatures of classical mythology continue to live in the modern imagination through the vivid accounts that have come down to us from the ancient Greeks and Romans. But what if these beings were more than merely fictions? What if monstrous creatures once roamed the earth in the very places where their legends first arose? This is the arresting and original thesis that Adrienne Mayor explores in The First Fossil Hunters. Through careful research and meticulous documentation, she convincingly shows that many of the giants and monsters of myth did have a basis in fact — in the enormous bones of long-extinct species that were once abundant in the lands of the Greeks and Romans.
As Mayor shows, the Greeks and Romans were well aware that a different breed of creatures once inhabited their lands. They frequently encountered the fossilised bones of these primeval beings, and they developed sophisticated concepts to explain the fossil evidence, concepts that were expressed in mythological stories. The legend of the gold-guarding griffin, for example, sprang from tales first told by Scythian gold-miners, who, passing through the Gobi Desert at the foot of the Altai Mountains, encountered the skeletons of Protoceratops and other dinosaurs that littered the ground.
Like their modern counterparts, the ancient fossil hunters collected and measured impressive petrified remains and displayed them in