The romance of excavation

Chapter 2: FOREWORD

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Adventure Archaeology & Anthropology History - Ancient

About This Book

A vivid popular account of archaeological discoveries across Egypt, Assyria, Troy, Crete, and neighboring regions, recounting how key finds were located, unearthed, and interpreted—from the inscriptional breakthroughs that unlocked ancient scripts to the dramatic opening of royal tombs and palaces. The narrative interweaves portraits of excavators with practical descriptions of field methods, the role of native labor and thieves, and the climatic and preservational factors that protect artifacts. Chapters cover monumental architecture, burial rites, cuneiform and hieroglyphic evidence, and the conservation and display of relics, emphasizing the mix of scientific technique, patient labor, and serendipity that reconstructs vanished civilizations.

FOREWORD

Now and again the world is stirred by a discovery such as that of the Tomb of Tutankhamen by Mr. Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. In the following pages I have sought to reveal some of the romance of excavation, to tell the fascinating story of the men who have gone out into the desert places and dug up long-lost cities and the fabled treasure of ancient kings. Brilliant men, who have played their part in unearthing the glories of the past, have written many volumes on the subject which is nearest their hearts, and if, after closing this book, the reader and student feel a desire to seek them out, I shall be content. In conclusion, I wish to thank Major Kenneth Mason, M.C., R.E., The British School at Athens, and The Trustees of the British Museum, for their kindness in allowing me to use various illustrations in this volume.

DAVID MASTERS.

1923.