1939 Freya Stark - ANCIENT HADHRAMAUT Pre-Book - Wraps

Author: STARK, Freya

Title: An Exploration in the Hadhramaut and Journey to the Coast.
Publisher: London: Royal Geographical Society, 1939.     Pre-Dates Book!

Item is in Original Condition, As Issued in Blue Wrappers, Complete with Ads!

Notes & Condition: This issue contains two first-hand narratives describing foremost explorations and remarkable excavations in the Hadhramaut. In addition to Freya Stark's account, a second report by G. Caton-Thompson and E. W. Gardner, titled 'Climate, Irrigation, and Early Man in the Hadhramaut', outlines further archaeological findings. Outstanding early Arabia archaeology discovery reports by two pioneering women who took great risk to explore, map and excavate in partly uncharted forbidden lands! This is a complete issue, seldom found in such good and original condition. 38 pages of which pertain to the afrementioned accounts, including sketch illustrations. Plus a full-page color map and black and white plates. Original condition with blue wrappers, titles to front, and containing all the ads.

Freya Stark's report pre-dates her important and critically acclaimed book, "A Winter in Arabia", published in 1940. As early as 1935 Stark travelled by herself into South Arabia to the Hadhramaut, a country yet partly unexplored and unmapped. By living with the people of the region and by travelling with them, Miss Stark achieved much that would have been impossible. Stark recollects her winter spent in the heart of the Hadhramaut excavating at Hureidha, what may have been one of the ancient cities of South Arabia and also shares her return journey, made alone, to the west via the fortress at Hajlain and the country of the Al Dhiyaib over unknown country which must have been trodden by the Incense traders of old.

G. Caton-Thompson's report also pre-dates her classic book, "The Tombs and Moon Temple of Hureidha (Hadhramaut)", published in 1944. Thompson set out for southern Arabia with Freya Stark and Elinor Gardner in 1937, arriving in Aden in October, at a time when the area was "archaeologically still terra incognita". Here she was able to excavate and explore the Tombs and Moon God Temple of Hureidha in the Hadhramaut. The work is also a study of the graffiti near Seyun and Shiban at Wadi Hadhramaut by the British archaeologists. At Hureidha the team started digging tombs and temples discovering the Quatermary period and the ancient irrigation system. This is also adressed by Freya Stark.