The Past From Above: Aerial Photographs Of Archaeological Sites Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Now available in paperback, The Past From Above presents stunning aerial photographs of 250 of the world's foremost archaeological sites. The photographer, Georg Gerster, has been shooting ancient sites from the air for more than fifty years. In this current collection, his subjects range from the temple complex at Karnak to the Great Wall of China, and from the Acropolis in Athens to Aztec palaces in Mexico. Gerster's photographs are technical achievements--often produced under hair-raising circumstances--in their own right but at the same time offer a unique visual history of mankind stretching back to the dawn of civilization. Charlotte Tr:umpler introduces the photographs with an overview of the critical role that aerial photography has played in archaeological research.
Series: Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (July 11, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0892368179
ISBN-13: 978-0892368174
Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 1.5 x 9.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #822,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #67 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Aerial #606 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Archaeology #1211 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Visual Arts > Photography
Aerial photographs began being taken in the mid-19th century, from tethered hot-air balloons, but it was a very iffy business. Among other things, the balloon gondola had to include a darkroom because the glass plates of the time couldn't wait the photographer to return to earth. The invention of the airplane in the early 20th century made things much simpler in a technical sense, but more complicated when it came to politics and borders. Most of the earliest aerial photos of archaeological sites were a byproduct of World War I reconnaissance flights, and some of the first locations surveyed no longer exist at all, or not in their earlier form. You'll find all the details of this early history in an introductory chapter, along with Gerster's reminiscences of his own often hair-brained aeronautical adventures with a camera. (No, he never acquired a pilot's license.)The main section of this large, heavy, glossy book is organized into ten topical chapters covering settlement types, royal residences, fortifications, battlefield, cemeteries and gravesites, sacred sites, monumental carvings in the land itself, and natural resources, with two more chapters on the scourge of looting and on sites later lost to dams and such, or saved at practically the last minute. There's a final chapter on the rescue of the statues at Aswan, which Gerster documented for the National Geographic Society. Altogether, there are some 250 large-format color photos of subjects ranging from famous places like the Athenian Acropolis, the Great Wall of China, Avebury, and Temple Mount in Jerusalem, to much less well-known ones like the prehistoric settlement of Yoshinogari on Kyushu, the Sigiriya palace in Sri Lanka, the Blythe Giant in southeast California, and the ancient Tell Brak in Syria.
The Past From Above: Aerial Photographs of Archaeological Sites Charleston from Above: Aerial Photographs of the Lowcountry Fish, Amphibian and Reptile Remains from Archaeological Sites: Part 1, Southeastern and Southwestern United States Quadcopters and Drones: How to Bring Your Photography or Videography to the Next Level (Drone Photography - Aerial Drone Photography - Quadcopter book - Aerial Drone Videography) The Wonderful World of Quadcopters and Drones: 28 Creative Uses for Recreation and Business (Drone Book - Quadcopter Book - Drone Photography - Quadcopter Photography - Aerial Drone - Aerial Hobby) Aerial Atlas of the Holy Land: Discover the Great Sites of History from the Air How to Draw Realistic Pencil Portraits: 10 Simple Steps to Draw People and Faces from Photographs (How to Draw Faces, Drawing Faces, Drawing People, ... from Photographs, Drawing from Photographs) NIV, Archaeological Study Bible, Hardcover: An Illustrated Walk Through Biblical History and Culture Archaeological Theory: An Introduction Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine: Archaeological, Written, and Comparative Sources (Bible in Its World) Secrets of Mesa Verde: Cliff Dwellings of the Pueblo (Archaeological Mysteries) Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy Past Time, Past Place: GIS for History Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past (Critical Perspectives On The Past) Secret Window, Secret Garden: Two Past Midnight (Four Past Midnight) History of Horse Racing: First Past The Post: Champion Thoroughbreds, Owners, Trainers and Jockeys, Illustrated with 220 Drawings, Paintings and Photographs Coca-Cola Its Vehicles in Photographs 1930-1969: Photographs from the Archives Department of the Coca-Cola Company (Iconografix Photo Archive Series) History of Aerial Photography and Archaeology: Mata Hari's glass eye and other stories Aerial Photography and Image Interpretation Marfa Flights: Aerial Views of Big Bend Country (Tarleton State University Southwestern Studies in the Humanities)
