Unearthed

Lost, broken, forgotten, rediscovered: poetry across 35 centuries.

Unearthed is a rich collection of poems from history that were unearthed through archaeology or by chance, accompanied by compelling stories of how they survived.

The poems in this book nearly didn’t get into print – every one of them was lost to history at some point in time. But, due to the efforts of archaeologists and historical researchers, they were all rediscovered. Spanning 35 centuries from the very earliest times to the advent of the printing press, this beautiful anthology presents 70 poems, ranging from lengthy epics to mere fragments and snippets, that have survived against the odds and live to speak to us today.

You’ll meet a Sumerian priestess writing about war in 2300 BCE (possibly the earliest poem in existence), a grief-stricken Greek girl remembering her childhood friend, an Arab princess from 11th-century Spain embroidering verses on her robes, a lonely Irish monk addressing his cat, and a Byzantine court official complaining about mice. The poems encompass passionate love lyrics, laments for vanished youth, elegies for deceased friends and lovers, epics about death and destruction, and odes to fresh fruit and vegetables.

Alongside the poems are fascinating stories of how they were rediscovered: written on scraps of papyrus found in rubbish heaps, on sherds of pottery, inscribed on 60-foot statues or 1-inch finger rings, poems on fragments of paper used to wrap mummies or repair Bibles. Arranged chronologically throughout the centuries, this book is a captivating exploration of how words endure.