In the Shadow of Arabic: The Centrality of Language to Arabic Culture. Studies Presented to Ramzi Baalbaki on the Occasion of his Sixtieth Birthday

limited to names of people and places mentioned in the book, which is something of a weakness. As stated at the beginning of this review, An Introduction to Islamic Archaeology is a timely and very accomplished book. It is not without its problems, however. Some chapters lack synthesis, particularly in the concluding paragraphs, the focus is decidedly on the medieval rather than the modern period, and I would argue that it will better serve archaeologists who know little of Islam than students of Islamic Studies who do not know much about archaeology. Despite these relatively minor quibbles, I have no hesitation in recommending this book to scholars and students at all levels, but particularly to those wishing for an affordable, concise and accessibly survey of Islamic archaeology and its development over time and space.