"This little book packs a punch ... this book has so much to say, and it should be read by both Islamic specialists and mainstream archaeologists." Antiquity

" ... [a] stimulating and informative book." Journal of Islamic Studies

"His goal is not only to demonstrate the richness and variety of the material culture of Muslim societies ... but also to interpret material culture and connect it convincingly to social characteristics" Aramco World

"The standard of scholarship by the author is considerable and his reading and understanding of Islam most impressive" Times Higher Education Supplement

Timothy Insoll is currently a Research Fellow in Archaeology at St John's College, Cambridge. From January 1999 he has been appointed a lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Manchester. He has conducted fieldwork in Mali, Eritrea, India, Uganda, Turkey and the UK. He has published numerous papers in academic journals, and one of his most recent publications, a monograph, is Islam, Archaeology and History: The Gao Region, Mali.