Title: Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: A History of the World in 100 Discoveries

Edited by: Ann R. Williams

Publisher: National Geographic 2021

Genre: Nonfiction - History

Pages: 512

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Blending high adventure with history, this chronicle of 100 astonishing discoveries from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the fabulous "Lost City of the Monkey God" tells incredible stories of how explorers and archaeologists have uncovered the clues that illuminate our past. Archaeology is the key that unlocks our deepest history. Ruined cities, golden treasures, cryptic inscriptions, and ornate tombs have been found across the world, and yet these artifacts of ages past often raised more questions than answers. But with the emergence of archaeology as a scientific discipline in the 19th century, everything changed. Illustrated with dazzling photographs, this enlightening narrative tells the story of human civilization through 100 key expeditions, spanning six continents and more than three million years of history. Each account relies on firsthand reports from explorers, antiquarians, and scientists as they crack secret codes, evade looters and political suppression, fall in love, commit a litany of blunders, and uncover ancient curses. Pivotal discoveries include: King Tut's tomb of treasure Terracotta warriors escorting China's first emperor into the afterlife The glorious Anglo-Saxon treasure of Sutton-Hoo Graves of the Scythians, the real Amazon warrior women New findings on the grim fate of the colonists of Jamestown.

I picked this one up off the new books shelf on a whim. I’m always up for a good book about archaeology and discovery. This one details 100 amazing discoveries starting all the way back in prehistoric times with a line of footprints. I enjoyed flipping through the pages and stopping when a topic caught my eye. I knew about most of these discoveries, but it was still nice to remind myself. This collection is perfect to those new to the topic of archaeology and those that are already steeped in it.

Next up on the TBR pile: