We started Archaeology Odyssey six years ago as an offshoot of Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR). Many BAR readers were interested in archaeology beyond the world of the Bible. They wanted to explore what happened before the biblical period as well as what happened after the biblical texts were written. They wanted to look at lands beyond the immediate lands of the Bible. And they wanted to contemplate aspects of life that were unrelated or only distantly related to the Bible.
For them, we launched Archaeology Odyssey. When I was called upon to explain the new magazine’s coverage, I would say that it covered anything unrelated to the Bible from Spain to Persia. What I really meant was that the magazine had an emphasis on Egypt, Mesopotamia and the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. Our first cover featured the famous gold death mask that Schliemann claimed to have excavated at Mycenae. The cover of the second issue showed the Parthenon and featured several stories about the Elgin Marbles. Then we covered the Etruscans, with articles on their history, art and language. Successive covers in our second year pictured the female pharaoh Hatshepsut and a statue of an Egyptian overseer of the pyramid builders (the actual laborers) from 2500 B.C. Another cover in our second year presented a relief from the palace of the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (883–859 B.C.).
But gradually we have branched out—to the east, to north Africa, to the fringes of Europe. The question now is, How far should we go? What do our readers want?
What about the civilizations of East Asia, such as those of India, Cambodia and China? Should we venture into central Asia, to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan? Would you like to read articles on the Silk Road (see the book review in this issue’s Reviews section)? How about the civilizations of northern Europe and southern Africa?
These are relatively short jumps. The big leap, of course, is across the ocean. Should Archaeology Odyssey expand to cover the peoples of Mesoamerica—the Incans, Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs? What about articles on the earliest inhabitants of the Americas, just when they got here and how they made the journey? Would you like to know more about Kennewick Man or the ancient human remains found in Monte Verde, Chile? Should we cover colonial American archaeology, or the Civil War?
It’s your magazine. What are your wishes and desires? I can’t tell you how much we have been buoyed and inspired by your enthusiastic reception to Archaeology Odyssey. Where we go from here—and there is plenty of exciting material in the area we have already carved out for ourselves, if that is what you want—depends on your instructions. Do let us hear from you.
We started Archaeology Odyssey six years ago as an offshoot of Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR). Many BAR readers were interested in archaeology beyond the world of the Bible. They wanted to explore what happened before the biblical period as well as what happened after the biblical texts were written. They wanted to look at lands beyond the immediate lands of the Bible. And they wanted to contemplate aspects of life that were unrelated or only distantly related to the Bible. For them, we launched Archaeology Odyssey. When I was called upon to explain the new magazine’s coverage, I would […]
You have already read your free article for this month. Please join the BAS Library or become an All Access member of BAS to gain full access to this article and so much more.