The Story of Archaeology: 50 Discoveries That Shaped Our View of the Ancient World

Synopsis

The Story of Archaeology tells the thrilling and fascinating tale of modern archaeology from its earliest beginnings to the present through 50 chronologically arranged profiles of iconic excavations - from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Death Pit of Ur, from Machu Picchu to the Mary Rose, and from Hoxne to Hallstatt. Some of these are discoveries of the swashbuckling type - lost tombs filled with precious artefacts - but others consist of bricks and pieces of flint and pottery which have, in the story they tell, proved to be yet rarer and more valuable. Broken pots and test-tubes of ancient pollen can, after all, be just as much 'treasure' as the mask of Tutankhamun, for they all tell a part of the story that helps us to understand who we are and how we got here. Each site profile is accompanied by boxed features shedding light on the archaeological techniques used then and now, describing the cultures that have been discovered and telling the personal stories of the people who discovered them. Helpful locator maps and informative timelines are included for every site.