Gods, graves and sages
Gods, graves and sages —Götter, Gräber und Gelehrte, original title in English- is a popular historical and archaeological book written by the German journalist and literary critic Kurt Wilhelm Marek, better known by his pseudonym CW Ceram. This work, which compiles hundreds of discoveries and adventures of the most famous scientists and explorers of the ancient world, was completed in 1949 and published in 1950.
The Destino publishing house was responsible for its edition and distribution in Spanish in 2008, thereby inspiring Iberian researchers and all Spanish-speaking researchers —such as Ignacio Martínez Mendizábal, who won the Prince of Asturias award thanks to his discovery in Atapuerca—. Gods, graves and sages It is not just any archeology or history book, is an exciting chronology about adventure, courage and intelligence.
Synopsis of Gods, graves and sages
This fantastic book —almost romantic, thanks to the pen of CW Ceram— has a pentalogy of blocks that, in turn, are divided into thirty-four chapters. your lines recount the life and work of some of the most renowned experts in the classical world, such as Jean-François Champollion or Heinrich Schliemann, as well as the history of the great ancient civilizations and their mysteries. Here are the five sections.
the book of statues
The first block, known as The Book of Statues speaks almost entirely about finds corresponding to the Mycenaean period. The highlights that are reported in this section are the discovery of the circle of tombs in Mycenae and the city of Troy.
the book of pyramids
As it is possible to guess from its title, this block is in charge of describing many of the discoveries related to the imposing Egyptian civilization. Some of the topics relate to the discovery of the Rosetta Stone by Jean-François Champollion, for example.
In addition, here it is possible to find information about the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen. Also, of course, that romantic story whose protagonists are the resting places of ancient kings, such as Ramses II.
The Book of Towers
One of the most fascinating features of Gods, graves and sages, is the way that its author had to approach the story. In the case of the third block, which talks about the mysterious Babylon and its secretsThis is very clearly stated.
Mesopotamia and Assyria were lost to the sands of time, but today we know of cuneiform, which emerged from them. In the book of towers the stories of Ashurbanipal's library are also narrated.
The Book of Stairs
It is not possible to cover classical civilizations without mentioning the jungles of the Yucatán or the cenote of Chichen Itzá, also known as La Fuente de las Doncellas. in these chapters the scope of the explorers is made known to bring to the surface the secrets of architecture, politics, rituals and dialects of the Aztec and Mayan communities.
On the History of Archeology Books that still cannot be written
the last paragraph is a compilation that describes how the future of history and archeology was perceived —both empirical sciences—by the time CW Ceram finished writing his paper (1949).
About the author's pen
Finding a book that reveals the secrets of science in a simple way is almost utopian, especially if it is a long title. Nevertheless, Gods, graves and sages It has four hundred and fifty-three pages, and all of them are a kind of reflection of a future Indiana Jones. The history of civilizations, the anecdotes of researchers and their adventures, are told with a simplicity characteristic of one who needs to speak to the whole world.
CW Ceram describes the lost worlds not only with passion, but also with the awareness that we are not all illustrious academics., like most of the men who inhabit the pages of his work. Gods, graves and sages It is known as "the archeology novel", and it is not for less, since it is to be recognized that there is an effort to make this an educational but entertaining title.
Some of the major explorers featured in Gods, Tombs, and Wise Men
Heinrich Schliemann:
His childhood dream was to discover Troy. Years later, as an adult, he spent his time peering through the rubble of this magnificent lost city. And yes, he did it.
Howard and Carnarvon:
Both professional archaeologists were determined to discover where the mythical tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun was located. When they had the opportunity to delve into the City of Kings, they couldn't find where to put all the gold they found inside.
Bruno Meisser:
He was the writer of the popularization classic The kings of Babylon and Assyria, book that narrates the splendor that surrounded the lands and the rulers of that magical region.
About the author, CW Ceram
C.W. Ceram
CW Ceram is the pen name of the German writer, journalist, editor and literary critic Kurt Wilhelm Marek, who was born in 1915 in Berlin and died in 1972 in Hamburg, Germany. In his youth, he was involved in political affairs related to the Third Reich.
Later, to avoid social condemnation for his unflattering performances as a propagandist for the nazi movement, He decided to sign his works on archaeological dissemination with an anagram of his last name: Marek – Keram – Ceram.
The author enlisted at age 23, and he worked as a reporter in countries such as Italy, the Soviet Union, Norway and Poland. In 1943 he was a prisoner of war in Italy because of his participation in the Battle of Monte Cassino. In isolation from him—at which time he did not show his old Nazi tendencies—he read many books in English on archeology and history, taking a deep interest in both branches of knowledge.
Other books by CW Ceram (original German editions)
- Wir hielten Narvik (1941);
- Rote Spiegel – überall am Feind. Von den Kanonieren des Reichsmarschalls (1943);
- provoking notice (1960);
- Yestermorrow: Notes on Man's Progress (1961);
- Hands on the Past: The Pioneer Archaeologists Tell Their Own Story (1966)
Other CW Ceram books (Spanish editions)
- provocative notes (1962);
- film archeology (1966);
- The first American: the enigma of the pre-Columbian Indians (1973);
- The Mystery of the Hittites, Orbis (1985);
- the world of archeology (2002)