House X at Kommos ─ A Minoan Mansion Near the Sea: Architecture, Stratigraphy, and Selected Finds

This book compiles the results of archeological investigation of House X, a Minoan mansion at Kommos on Crete. It is designed for professional readers in Minoan studies and archeology. However, the text is written in a clear, accessible style. The authors interpret the use of each space in the house, and the house as a whole. The text is professional rather than speculative; interpretations are limited by the available evidence. All images, maps, and tables are bundled together in the back of the book. The editors and primary site excavators, Maria C. Shaw and Joseph W. Shaw, have done a commendable job of compiling detailed evidence from diverse sources (painting, plaster, clay objects, bone, shell, metal, stone, architecture) and presenting it all in a sensible format equally useful to specialists in that form of archeology, other specialists, and any interested general readers. The scientific illustrations are skillful, the black and white photographs are clear, the maps and plans (by architect Giuliana Bianco) are first-rate, and the tables are excellent. This is the first of two volumes; the second will deal with the pottery, though general information learned from pottery about the house is included here. A few color photographic plates show the more notable finds, mostly partial frescoes, but House X is not a highly photogenic treasure site; most of the book's interest is in its well-presented information. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)