Antiquaries and Archaists is a new book from Megan Aldrich and SAJ contributor Robert J. Wallis, based on a fascinating day conference held at the Society of Antiquaries.
From the Spire Books web site:
Explore the ever-changing view of the past, from Saxon times to the present day, from the British Isles to modern-day China – how the Middle Ages populated ancient sites with dragons and elves; how people responded to the historic landscape many centuries ago; how the landscapes and buildings of the past came to be interpreted and codified by the great antiquarians William Stukeley and Thomas Rickman.
The modern perception and appreciation of the past is seen through the rise of antiquarianism in Japan; the founding of the Church Monuments Society in Britain; the way modern ‘pagans’ have rediscovered mystery and magic in ancient sites; and how a Chinese woodblock printer has subtly reworked traditional techniques and motifs into contemporary settings.
And from the TLS:
The interplay of past and present, knowledge and belief, is complex and in raising as many questions as they answer the authors of Antiquaries and Archaists have done their job well. This is an inspiring, original and thought-provoking book.
Available here
(N.B. the book is available now, not in February as the site suggests)