C. W. Ceram (1915–72,) born Kurt Wilhelm Marek, was a German journalist and author best known for his popular archaeology works. He adopted the pseudonym “C. W. Ceram” to distance himself from his wartime writings. His engaging storytelling made archaeology accessible, and his legacy endures through the Ceram Prize, awarded for excellence in archaeological writing.
Born in Berlin, Ceram trained as a publisher and bookseller before serving in the German army. While recovering from injuries in 1944, he outlined what would become his most famous book, Götter, Gräber und Gelehrte (1949, Gods, Graves, and Scholars: The Story of Archaeology, 1951.) This bestseller, featuring discoveries by Howard Carter and William Flinders Petrie, sparked widespread interest in archaeology.
Ceram continued exploring historical themes with Das Geheimnis der Hethiter (1956, The Secret of the Hittites, 1956,) Der erste Amerikaner (1971, The First American, 1971,) and Einführung in die Archäologie (1958, March of Archaeology, 1958.) Under his real name, he published Yestermorrow: Notes on Man’s Progress (1961) and Hands on the Past: The Pioneer Archaeologists Tell Their Own Story (1966.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by C. W. Ceram
Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.
—C. W. Ceram
Topics: Simplicity, Genius
Genius reduces the complicated to simple.
—C. W. Ceram
Topics: Creativity
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