The Book

From Prehistoric Times to the Catalan ConquestI

n this highly readable book, Emily Kaufman reviews the most salient features of early Ibicenco history. Touching briefly on the island’s first emergence as a result of geological upheavals, she takes us from prehistoric times through to the Catalan conquest in 1235.

Beginning with the first Copper Age inhabitants, she tells the story of successive human occupations in the Pityuses, taking in the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandal and Byzantines, and concluding with the high point of medieval civilization, the Moorish period. A special section deals with the religious practices of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, including a detailed investigation of such well-known deities as Bes, Baal-Hammon and Tanit.

All of this is described in the context of larger political events throughout the Mediterranean and beyond, the great events of the times which inevitably had an effect on even such a remote island as Ibiza.

This book is an essential addition to any library, providing an excellent résumé of Mediterranean history centred on Ibiza.

The Author

Emily Kaufman was born in New York in 1961, but grew up largely in York, Pennsylvania. She studied languages and humanities at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, spending her junior year abroad at Madrid's Instituto Miguel Angel. Intrigued by Spain, she returned to Madrid where she lived and worked for two years before moving permanently to Ibiza in 1984. On the island she has worked primarily as an English teacher, combining this profession with translations and regular contributions to the local English language magazine, Ibiza NOW. Her lifelong love of history has found fertile ground on an island whose historical wealth has provided many opportunities to engage in this hobby. Between 2000 and 2002, she participated as a founding member of this Ibiza History Culture website, which promotes the cultural aspects of Ibiza. She currently lives on the island in Sant Agustí and is working on a second book about Pityusan society in the early twentieth century, culminating with the Spanish Civil War.

First Published: 2000 by Tarita S.L. - ISBN: 84-607-1188-9
Second Edition Published: 2008 by Libro Azul - ISBN: 84-607-1188-9
Dimensions: 208 pages
Price: 17 euro (soft cover) plus postage
Languages: English

How to purchase this book

This intriguing debut book by Emily Kaufman, is available for purchase by directly contacting this office, either by e-mail, fax, letter and telephone or in person. Payment is accepted by cash, traveller's cheques, or by MasterCard and VISA credit cards.

The price of this book by Emily Kaufman, which can on request be personally signed by the author, is 17 euro plus the cost of postage: Spain 1 euro, UK/Europe 4 euro, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand surface 5 euro and Airmail 10 euro.

Emily Kaufman

emilykaufman@ibizahistoryculture.com