Egypt, Troy, Babylon, Nineveh, Ur, Nippur, Copán-who is not lured by the fabled civilizations of the ancient world? And who has not wanted to accompany those remarkable archaeologists whose skill, imagination, and perseverance unearthed ruined cities and opened long-forgotten monumental tombs? Here, in one superbly readable volume, ten prominent archaeologists tell the stories of their explorations. Ranging in locale from Mesopotamia to Mesoamerica and covering the formative years of classical archaeology, these vivid tales reveal the excitement and dangers of fieldwork, yet also amply testify to the careful scientific thought and techniques that increasingly became a part of archaeological excavation and interpretation. Howard Carter offers a stirring account of his discovery of the sealed tomb of Tutankhamen; Heinrich Schliemann describes his epic search for and discovery of ancient Troy; Sir Leonard Wooley recounts how he uncovered a ziggurat in the Sumerian city of Ur and deduced from the ruins its original appearance and function; Flinders Petrie relates his vision of a more scientific archaeology and demonstrates its use in Egypt. Spirited and informative, this volume is an indispensable guide to the glittering civilizations of long ago and the daring archaeologists who rediscovered them.
