The Aigina Treasure y J Lesley Fitton

Book info: The Aigina Treasure y J Lesley Fitton (Hardcover, 136 pages) – British Museum, 2009. Language: English.

Since its arrival at the British Museum in 1891 the Aigina Treasure a group of Greek Bronze Age gold jewellery and other objects that is believed to come from the island of Aigina has been shrouded in mystery and speculation. The many uncertainties about the Treasure include its place of origin; whether all the objects are from the same findspot; and whether it should be considered as a homogenous group. Through examination of stylistic elements and comparison with objects from other collections, the contributors to this volume variously argue for the Treasures possible Minoan, Mycenaean, Near Eastern and Egyptian connections. Major discoveries in the field have been made since Reynold Higginss 1979 publication on the Treasure, including the excavation of a warrior shaft grave in Aigina in 1981. The essays are complemented by a complete catalogue of the Treasure, which incorporates the results of an extensive technological examination and is accompanied by specially taken, beautiful colour photography.Table of ContentsPreface; List of illustrations; Introduction (Dyfri Williams); The story of the Aigina Treasure (Dyfri Williams); The Aigina Treasure: Catalogue and Technical Report (Lesley Fitton, Nigel Meeks and Louise Joyner); Aigina-Kolonna in the Early and Middle Bronze Age (Florens Felten); Ornaments from the Warrior Grave and the Aigina Treasure (Stefan Hiller); The Aigina Treasure: the Mycenaean connection (Robert Laffineur); The Aigina Treasure: Near Eastern connections (Dominique Collon); The Aegean or the Near East: another look at the Master of the Animals Pendant (Joan Aruz); Three pendants: Tell el-Dab’a, Aigina and a new silver pendant from the Petrie Museum (Robert Schiestl); Egypt and the Aigina Treasure (Yvonne J. Markovitz and Peter Lacovara); Bibliography. Editorial Reviews Review The illustrations, in color and black and white, are stunning…the catalogue, technical section, and photographs are invaluable.'
John G. Younger, Bryn Mawr Classical Review February 2010

A handsome, large-format production, as one would expect from this publisher.'
Gocha R. Rsetskhladze, Ancient West & East Volume 10, 2002

...much-needed and long-awaited...the book will be an indispensable companion for everyone with a research focus on ancient Mediterranean metal production and consumption. Even for those without a keen interest in the arcane issues of Bronze Age metalworking, the book offers fascinating insight into an assemblage that represents one of the apogees of ancient jewelry making and provides a rich source of information about the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern world in Middle Helladic/ Bronze Age times.'
Thomas Zimmerman, AJA Reviews Online April 2011 About the Author Lesley Fitton is Keeper of the Department of Greece and Rome at the British Museum. Her previous publications include The Minoans (2002)