From the bestselling author of 1177 B.C., a comprehensive history of
archaeology--from its amateur beginnings to the cutting-edge science it
is today
In 1922, Howard Carter peered into Tutankhamun's tomb for the first
time, the only light coming from the candle in his outstretched hand.
Urged to tell what he was seeing through the small opening he had cut in
the door to the tomb, the Egyptologist famously replied, "I see
wonderful things." Carter's fabulous discovery is just one of the many
spellbinding stories told in Three Stones Make a Wall.
Written by Eric Cline, an archaeologist with more than thirty seasons of
excavation experience, Three Stones Make a Wall traces the history of
archaeology from an amateur pursuit to the cutting-edge science it is
today by taking the reader on a tour of major archaeological sites and
discoveries, from Pompeii to Petra, Troy to the Terracotta Warriors, and
Mycenae to Megiddo and Masada. Cline brings to life the personalities
behind these digs, including Heinrich Schliemann, the former businessman
who excavated Troy, and Mary Leakey, whose discoveries advanced our
understanding of human origins. The discovery of the peoples and
civilizations of the past is presented in vivid detail, from the
Hittites and Minoans to the Inca, Aztec, and Moche. Along the way, the
book addresses the questions archaeologists are asked most often: How do
you know where to dig? How are excavations actually done? How do you
know how old something is? Who gets to keep what is found?
Taking readers from the pioneering digs of the eighteenth century to the
exciting new discoveries being made today, Three Stones Make a Wall is
a lively and essential introduction to the story of archaeology.
