CONTENTS

List of Illustrations vii

Preface: A Petrified Monkey’s Paw xi

Prologue: “Wonderful Things”: King Tut and His Tomb 1

PART I   EARLY ARCHAEOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGISTS

     1     Ashes to Ashes in Ancient Italy 13

     2     Digging Up Troy 24

     3     From Egypt to Eternity 38

     4     Mysteries in Mesopotamia 52

     5     Exploring the Jungles of Central America 66

Digging Deeper 1: How Do You Know Where to Dig? 80

PART 2   AFRICA, EUROPE, AND THE LEVANT: EARLY HOMININS TO FARMERS

     6     Discovering Our Earliest Ancestors 97

     7     First Farmers in the Fertile Crescent 115

PART 3   EXCAVATING THE BRONZE AGE AEGEAN

     8     Revealing the First Greeks 131

     9     Finding Atlantis? 146

   10     Enchantment Under the Sea 157

PART 4   UNCOVERING THE CLASSICS

   11     From Discus-Throwing to Democracy 171

   12     What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us? 188

Digging Deeper 2: How Do You Know How to Dig? 204

PART 5   DISCOVERIES IN THE HOLY LAND AND BEYOND

   13     Excavating Armageddon 221

   14     Unearthing the Bible 234

   15     Mystery at Masada 245

   16     Cities of the Desert 257

Digging Deeper 3: How Old Is This and Why Is It Preserved? 269

PART 6   NEW WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY

   17     Lines in the Sand, Cities in the Sky 291

   18     Giant Heads, Feathered Serpents, and Golden Eagles 303

   19     Submarines and Settlers; Gold Coins and Lead Bullets 314

Digging Deeper 4: Do You Get to Keep What You Find? 326

Epilogue: Back to the Future 333

            Acknowledgments 341

            Notes 343

            Bibliography 383

            Index 431