In light of the Museum's big announcement this week, it seems appropriate to start off the list of newly-acquired books with Einstein's Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe, written by Dr. Evalyn Gates and published in 2009 (W.W. Norton). Hailed as "down-to-earth, accessible, and fun," Gates' book delves into the study of our universe and its evolution. You are welcome to take a look at the book in the Library; if you want to purchase your very own copy, the Museum Store is selling it in paperback for $16.95.
Next up is Bodies in the Bog and the Archaeological Imagination, by Karin Sanders (University of Chicago Press, 2009). Human remains dating from the Iron Age have been found in the bogs of northern Europe. These amazingly well-preserved bodies of men, women, and children have ignited the interests of archaeologists, artists, poets, psychologists, and scientists over the years. Sanders takes an interdisciplinary approach in her new book, which critics have called "deeply moving" and "stunning."
The Midwest Archeological Center is part of the National Park Service, and is dedicated to the study, interpretation, and preservation of archeological resources within the National Park system. They produce a number of different publications in various series; Special Report Number 5 (2009), is titled Footprints: In the Footprints of Squier and Davis: Archeological Fieldwork in Ross County, Ohio. The Museum's own N'omi B. Greber, curator of Archaeology, co-authored a chapter with Orrin C. Shane III: Field Studies of the Octagon and Great Circle, High Bank Earthworks Ross County, Ohio. You can check out this book in the Library, or read it online (scroll down to Special Report No. 5).
English Rock Terms, Chiefly as Used by Miners and Quarrymen, by W.J. Arkell and S.I. Tomkeieff, is a fun little book published by Oxford University Press in 1953. This glossary of geology includes rock names used by miners and quarrymen in different parts of the British Isles. Each term includes references that provide historical perspective. If you're looking to spice up a talk, you might want to throw in such words as clunch, tharf, sloom, and tator butt!