Hot Pursuit - by Alysia Fischer (Hardcover)

About the Book

Hot Pursuit is about glass-blowing in antiquity and today. It shows how using a variety of anthropological methods to answer an archaeological question yields an intriguing glimpse into the lives of glass-blowers in antiquity.

Book Synopsis

Within the broader context of the Anthropology of Craft, this volume examines ancient glass-workers at the site of Sepphoris, in northern Israel. By drawing upon the knowledge and experience of current Middle-Eastern glass-workers to interpret the artifacts excavated at the site, Fischer is able to create a picture of the life and work of craftspeople living 1500 years ago.

Firmly based in anthropological archaeology and ethnoarchaeology, Hot Pursuit incorporates methods drawn from the four fields of anthropology and calls for more integration among the sub-fields.

Review Quotes

"Dr. Fischer's research on glassmaking in Byzantine and modern times demonstrates the vast potential for developing--in her words--an 'Anthropology of Craft' that integrates theory, methods, and findings from all subdisciplines. Innovative and impressive, Hot Pursuit will likely change the way anthropologists study technology." --Michael Brian Schiffer, Fred A. Riecker Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, University of Arizona

"Whether she is discussing archaeological debris patterns, ancient furnace design, resource acquisition, or modern-day glass shops, Fischer pulls her reader into the heat, smoke, and glare of the glass workshop. She makes a good case for the utility of an integrated anthropological approach to the history of technology, and the resulting effort enriches our appreciation of the glass vessels we excavate, study, and admire by helping us catch a glimpse of the glassblowers who made them." --Janet Duncan Jones, Bucknell University, American Journal of Archaeology

About the Author

Alysia Fischer is visiting assistant professor in the department of anthropology at Miami University.