New Zealand Archaeology Week runs from 28 April – 6 May, with events up and down the country, including an exhibition courtesy of Underground Overground Archaeology at our own South Library called Pubs of the Past: the archaeology of Victorian Christchurch Hotels, so this seems like a good time to mention some of the archaeological books, magazines, and other resources that you can find at Christchurch City Libraries.
Books
The Library has thousands of books and eBooks about archaeology for both adults and children. Because archaeology lies at the interface between art, history, and science, books on this subject can be found in several different places among our non-fiction collection, so if you’re having troubling finding what you’re looking for, then ask a librarian for help.
Here is a list of a few of my personal favourites that have recently been added to the library’s shelves, including some fiction that features archaeologists as characters…
Archaeology
Books about archaeology and archaeologists for adults and children, including both fiction and non-fiction
The 50 Greatest Prehistoric Sites of the World
– A guide book to archaeological sites
A’a – The fascinating story of a Polynesian artefact, now in the British Museum, that became an inspiration for Picasso
Anglo-Saxon Attitudes – The consequences of an archaeological hoax come back to haunt the characters of this 1956 novel
Built on Bones – What happened when we started to live together in cities? – the archaeological evidence
Cigars of the Pharaoh – A classic!Cigars of the Pharaoh
The Incredible Cabinet of Wonders – Not just archaeology, but I love this children’s “lift the flap” bookThe Incredible Cabinet of Wonders
Keeping Their Marbles – The uncomfortable story of how archaeological objects from around the world were acquired by western museums, often by coercion and theft
A Little History of Archaeology – Stories of some of the great archaeologists and what they found – one of the “Little Histories” series
Lost in A Pyramid – Twelve tales from the golden age of the mummy story, collected and published by the British Library
Mayan Mendacity – The second mystery for Dr Elizabeth Pimms, archaeologist and librarian – sequal to Olmec Obituary
My Life in Ruins – What is it actually like to be an archaeologist?
The Quest for Z – A delightful retelling for children of a doomed expedition to find a lost city in the Amazon jungle
The Story of Tutankhamun – A beautifully illustrated book for children about perhaps the most celebrated of ancient Egyptian pharaohs
Magazines and eMagazines
The magazine Archaeology is available both as a hard copy and as an e-magazine through RBDigital. Check out the January/February 2018 edition for an article called “New Zealand’s First City, Uncovered”, which tells the stories of the early European colonists of Christchurch through some of the artefacts found among the rubble in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, as well as presenting evidence of earlier occupation by Māori dating back as far as 1250 AD.
We also have many other general science and history magazines that include articles about archaeology, such as All About History, BBC History Magazine, Discover, Smithsonian Magazine, etc., in both hard copy and digital formats. Check out the library catalogue for details.
eResources
A library card gets you free access to a huge number of electronic resources that contain information about archaeology, many of which can be accessed from home. The best way to find out about these is to log on a take a look. In particular, you might want to check out some of these:
- Gale Virtual Reference Library
- History Reference Centre
- National Geographic Virtual Library
- New Zealand Geographic Archive(including NZGeo TV)
- New Zealand History Collection
- Opposing Views in Context
- Oxford Art Online
- Research in Context
- Science in Context
- Science Reference Center
- Scientific American Archive
- Student Resources in Context
- Teacher Reference Center
- World Book
- World History in Context
These are in addition to our extensive collection of eResources about local and family history. If you are a Christchurch resident, but not yet a member of the library, you can join online, with the option of a digital only membership if you just want access to our online resources.
Other places of archaeological interest in and around Christchurch
Fans of Egyptology should check out Tash Pen Khonsu, an Egyptian mummy on display at Canterbury Museum. For those with more classical tastes, the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities, run by the University of Canterbury, is well worth a visit. This relatively new museum opened in May 2017 and is located in the recently refurbished Arts Centre on Level 1 of the Old Chemistry Building at 3 Hereford Street. It is currently closed, but will re-open during New Zealand Archaeology Week on 5 May with an exhibition called “Beyond the Grave: Death in Ancient Times”.
More information about archaeological sites in Christchurch can be found on the websites of Christchurch City Council and Heritage New Zealand (formerly known as the Historic Places Trust), which has an extensive archaeology section that includes a wealth of fascinating and useful information, and of course on our own Library Website.
Happy digging!
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