Archaeology Books with Good COLOUR Photos of Materials Being Excavated?

[Participant-Observer]

Hi folks,

I'm about to embark on the painting of my undead army (for Armies of Arcana) and I want at least some units to look as though they've only recently crawled out of their graves.  Does anyone know of an archaeology text which has COLOUR photographs of recently excavated/ in the middle of excavation bone, fabric, metal, and wood that would serve as a good painting reference book?  Almost everything in my library is in black and white.

Thanks!

[Just John]

Just do google search for 'excavations skeletons' and look at the images - a good selection of skeletons comes up. Generally speaking fabrics don't survive as long as the bones so most skeletons shouldn't actually be wearing clothes, The appearance of the wood will depend largely on the conditions it was preserved in - again generally speaking the wetter the conditions the darker the wood will be. Again generally speaking the metal parts of the shield are going to survive longer than the wooden portions in dry conditions.

Its probably more 'realistic' to have skeletons equip themselves with weapons & armour from the more recently deceased.

[former user]

I'd go for pictures of before/after about restoration. I can't imagine colleagues publishing colour photographs of unrestored unrecognizable artifacts.
Usually
Iron is rusty
everything copper-based is greenish
everything hair based is reddish brown
wood is rotten or bleached
bones are either white or reddish yellow, depending on taphonomy
Gold will shine through and silver will be grey-black
and everything is dusty or muddy

not very spectacular - or You go for the tomb of Tut, where everything was rather well preserved, but then this was not exactly an excavation

[Participant-Observer]

You guys and your love of Google Image search!  (D'Oh!  I'll be off in the corner.  Looking embarrassed.)

I've dug up old wooden structures, bone, metal, and fabric but it's been a while.  I'm looking for pics that will jog my memory as to details so that I can get the details "just right."  Ideally, something that I can have open next to me, as I paint -- so I'd still be interested in book recommendations, if anyone has 'em.

Its probably more 'realistic' to have skeletons equip themselves with weapons & armour from the more recently deceased.

Ha!  I hadn't really thought of that but I suppose you're right.

[Participant-Observer]

Oh, and THANKS! (In case that wasn't clear.)

[Mitch K]

I'd go for pictures of before/after about restoration. I can't imagine colleagues publishing colour photographs of unrestored unrecognizable artifacts.
Usually
Iron is rusty
everything copper-based is greenish
everything hair based is reddish brown
wood is rotten or bleached
bones are either white or reddish yellow, depending on taphonomy
Gold will shine through and silver will be grey-black
and everything is dusty or muddy

not very spectacular - or You go for the tomb of Tut, where everything was rather well preserved, but then this was not exactly an excavation

Isn't wood usually just a dark stain in the ground? If you're lucky, that is.

[former user]

true, but then it's not wood anymore 
actually wood preserves only in very wet and very dry conditions

[Participant-Observer]

actually wood preserves only in very wet and very dry conditions

I've personally dug up old wood that's a few hundred years old from a riverside site in Reading.  Not sure how useful that wood would have been for hitting someone over the head though.  (Well, mebbe once, but probably not more than that.)  The stuff tends to look very dark, IIRC.

[Elk101]

Almost all my old course books are black and white but I did find this on a cover; it's been cleaned up but the colours are good.

[Participant-Observer]

Nice photo!  (What's the book, out of interest?)

[Elk101]

It's from:

Stirland A 1986 (2nd ed reprint 2003) 'Human Bones in Archaeology' Shire Archaeology Series No. 46.

You can see if you look carefully that there's actually 2 skeletons; a pregnant woman with an unborn child.

[Elk101]

The Shire books are handy to have around on digs. Pottery in Roman Britain was a positive boon for telling your Huntcliff from your Black Burnished ware!

[Participant-Observer]

Stirland A 1986 (2nd ed reprint 2003) 'Human Bones in Archaeology' Shire Archaeology Series No. 46.

Thank'ee!

You can see if you look carefully that there's actually 2 skeletons; a pregnant woman with an unborn child.

Yup. Caught that.

The Shire books are handy to have around on digs. Pottery in Roman Britain was a positive boon for telling your Huntcliff from your Black Burnished ware!

That's Kevin Greene, isn't it?  A cracker! (Big thumbs up!)

[Blue in vt]

Coloration on excavated artifacts is going to depend very largely on the conditions in which it is found.  I can share many dozens of digital pictures of various excavated artifacts if needed...but I agree that finding good color pictures in books is difficult.

Good luck!

Cheers,

Blue

[Elk101]

Mine is from the Shire series and is by Vivien Swan but it is pretty good. It's great for cross sections. You're right about the Kevin Greene book though, 'Interpreting the Past: Roman Pottery' if it's the same one I'm thinking of is a nice book. I never had my own copy though. I ordered a few archaeology books from the US, especially when we covered archaeological presentation to the public and had to look at 'living history'. Those were the days!