When we think of archaeology, we imagine people digging for ancient Greek treasures, entering the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, or discovering Neanderthal skulls. But archaeology is more than that. It is a science that was created to satisfy our curiosity about our past. It seeks answers, information, and evidence, not just valuable objects. And it covers the entire history of the human species - over three million years.
"The Little History of Archaeology" tells us the story of some of the great archaeologists and their discoveries all over the world. These include cave paintings from the Ice Age, the ruins of the Mayans, the first European settlements in America, the mysterious Stonehenge, and Pompeii - the city buried under volcanic ash in 79 AD. Through short, captivating chapters, Brian Fagan traces the evolution of archaeology, from its beginnings in the 18th century to the modern era. He shows us how a more and more detailed picture of the past gradually formed, through revolutionary methods such as remote sensing and satellite imagery. In this book, Fagan sheds light on the discoveries, methods, and almost mythical figures that make up the global adventure called archaeology.