Storytelling: Pictoral Storytelling

Aerial photographs show artificial mounds, cliff carvings, hill forts, standing stones, and prehistoric ruins, and are accompanied by descriptions of the sites and their background.

Whatever aspect of China interests the reader, this beautifully illustrated volume will provide a thorough and thought-provoking look at this complex and often volatile country. Said to be the oldest continuous civilization, China is a country full of contradictions; it is at once tranquil and dramatic, unified and diverse. China: Ancient Culture, Modern Land gives the reader the experience of living in China today as well as an overview of ancient Chinese history and culture.

This unique and extraordinary guide to seven major sites of Maya civilization highlights the pioneering work of two great scholars of ancient America. For readers at every level -- from the casual tourist to the serious student -- The Code of Kings relies on Linda Schele and Peter Mathews's revolutionary work in the decipherment of the hieroglyphs that cover the surfaces of Maya ruins to give us a far clearer picture of Maya culture than we have ever had. Richly illustrated with line art and the incomparable photography of Justin Kerr and Macduff Everton, The Code of Kings is a landmark contribution to our understanding of the Maya and a phenomenal guided tour of seven of the most awesome and magical spots on Earth.

With the exception of the Grand Canyon itself, none of the great gorges of the American Southwest is more uniquely beautiful than Canyon de Chelly, with its sheer red cliffs and innumerable prehistoric Indian dwellings. Of all the important centers of prehistoric Anasazi culture, only this magnificent canyon shows an unbroken record of settlement for more than 1,000 years.In this liberally illustrated book, rock art authority Campbell Grant examines four aspects of the spectacular canyon: its physical characteristics, its history of human habitation, its explorers and archaeologists, and its countless rock paintings and petroglyphs. Grant surveys 96 sites in the two main canyons and offers an interpretation of the rock art found there.

The Egyptian hieroglyphic script is one of the most beautiful, fascinating, and expressive writing systems ever invented. In Ancient Egypt, only an elite few could read and write hieroglyphs, but now you too can recognize and write a selection of names, titles, descriptions, sayings, greetings--even insults! For the ancient Egyptians, nothing could exist without a name--names held the spark of life. In this colorful illustrated guide, Angela McDonald explains how the Egyptians composed names for the elements of their world and along the way opens a fascinating window on their ancient culture--their gods, enemies, animals, and more. With practical guides and a lively, informative text, she shows how to create many charming and useful phrases in hieroglyphs for yourself, your friends, your pets--even your house. There are step-by-step tips on how to draw some of the trickier signs and a collection of genuine Egyptian phrases--greetings, laments, and insults--for use in your own compositions. In the words of one Egyptian papyrus, "By day write with your fingers, recite by night. Befriend the scroll and the palette--it's more fulfilling than wine!" Copub: British Museum Press

An illuminating history of the 214 Chinese symbols or radicals and how they provide a unique way to penetrate a rich, mysterious world and can reflect the history and philosophy of an entire culture. Written Chinese can call upon some 40,000 characters, many of which originated about 6,000 years ago as little pictures of everyday objects used by the ancients to communicate with each other. This book, which introduces the Westerner to a rich and mysterious world, is based on a classic compilation of the Chinese language done in the 18th century, which determined that all the characters then in use were devised from 214 root pictographs or symbols. Each of these 214 key characters, calledradicals is charmingly explored by the author, both for its etymology and for what it reveals about Chinese history and culture. Chinese characters are marvels of graphic design, and this book shows, stroke by stroke, how each radical is written and gives examples of how radicals are combined with other radicals and character elements to form new characters.