Provocative views on why architecture matters offer vital information for developing a richer architecture.

The fifth volume in the Institute of Classical Archaeology's series on rural settlements in the countryside (chora) of Metaponto presents the excavation of a Greek farmhouse, illuminating the lifeways of fourth-century BC farmers of modest means.

This book on Macedonian imperialism in the 4th-2nd centuries BCE looks at the nature and origin of that imperialism, and for the first time examines closely the personnel of imperial control to see what the empire meant to them.

This volume aims at providing the first overview over landscape archaeology in the Black Sea region with particular focus on the cities' chorai including a comparative Mediterranean perspective. This type of archaeology is concerned with overall patterns beyond the individual site, and it faces the challenge of how to integrate time and space. From a methodological point of view, the ensemble of international contributors to (Re)guarding the chora shows the prospects of East-West collaboration over this fascinating kind of archaeology. Contributors: Susan Alcock, Alexander Avram, John Bintliff, Sergej B. Bujskih, Joseph Carter, Svend Conrad, Peter Hayes, Alexander V. Gavrilov, Sergej D. Kryzickij, Sergej B. Ochotnikov, Sergej Ju. Saprykin, Viktor N. Zinko with a preface by Pia Guldager Bilde and Vladimir Stolba.

This title was first published in 2003. There has been increasing recognition around the world that wetlands are fragile ecosystems which require sensitive and sustainable management if they are to continue to provide their range of functions and benefits. These functions and benefits, which include contributions to food security and environmental regulation, play a critical role in sustaining rural livelihoods in many developing countries. Drawing upon research carried out in the area, this book identifies and discusses the importance of wetlands to local communities in south-west Ethiopia, and in particular, how indigenous wetland management practices contribute to sustainable wetland use. As the basis of wetland management, particular attention is paid to the role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and how knowledge of wetland functioning is acquired, disseminated, developed and applied by local communities in their wetland management strategies. Critically, this community knowledge is examined in the context of scientific data, specifically that obtained from a wetland hydrology monitoring programme, thereby drawing attention to the strengths and weaknesses of both systems. This has major implications not only for the ways in which wetlands and other natural resources are managed at the local level, but also for the wider rural development strategies of governments and non-governmental organizations.

This concise commentary on the Gospels and Acts, excerpted from the Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The New Testament, engages readers in the work of biblical interpretation. Contributors from a rich diversity of perspectives connect historical-critical analysis with sensitivity to current theological, cultural, and interpretive issues. Introductory articles describe the challenges of reading the New Testament in ancient and contemporary contexts, as well as exploring other themes ranging from the Jewish heritage of early Christianity to the legacy of the Apocalyptic. These are followed by the survey “Jesus and the Christian Gospels.” Each chapter (Matthew through Acts) includes an introduction and commentary on the text through the lenses of three critical questions: The Text in Its Ancient Context. What did the text probably mean in its original historical and cultural context? The Text in the Interpretive Tradition. How have centuries of reading and interpreting shaped our understanding of the text? The Text in Contemporary Discussion. What are the unique challenges and interpretive questions that arise for readers and hearers of the text today? The Gospels and Acts introduces fresh perspectives and draws students, as well as preachers and interested readers, into the challenging work of interpretation.