From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6?The lives and work of eight archaeologists, amateur and professional, are briefly described. Kathleen Kenyon, who excavated the Biblical city of Jericho, is the only woman included. Also discussed are Hiram Bingham, Austen Henry Layard, Henri Mouhot, Heinrich Schliemann, Sir Arthur Evans, and Edward Thompson. Only Howard Carter, discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamen, is likely to be familiar to most youngsters. Biographical material is appropriately intermingled with history so that readers gain a sense of the eras in which these individuals lived and the settings within which they conducted their explorations. Simple maps help determine locations, but could be easily overlooked because they are so small. Stock black-and-white photographs and reproductions are plentiful, but many are dark. Despite its shortcomings, the stories are interesting and inspiring.?Jeanette Larson, Texas State Library, Austin
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-10. One chapter is devoted to each of eight major archaeological finds in this interesting, readable treatment of a possibly dusty subject. The discussions include biographical information about the archaeologist and delightful retellings of legends and myths that surround the site. The introduction distinguishes between archaeologists (who approach history through the objects that ancient peoples made and used) and paleontologists (who approach it through the study of human and animal bones and fossils). Among the ruins discussed are the walls of Troy, King Tut's tomb, the city of Jericho, the sacred well at Chich{‚}en Itz{ }a, and the ancient urban center of the Incas in Peru. The book includes a map of major archaeological finds across the globe, a time line of ancient civilizations, and a bibliography. Susan DeRonne
