Customer Reviews

In Search of Lost Civilizations: Adventures in Archeology (Bonehunter Series)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A very interesting and well written account of archeology adventures in the form of field trips. I knew something about the Anasazis from the American Southwest before I read Tansey's book, but now I have a greater understanding of the Anasazis and other Precolumbian cultures in North America. The book is an adventure story, not a classroom text, which I appreciate, yet it takes the reader into the realm of field archeology as seen through the eyes of a layman, one with the boundless curiosity of a child in awe.

I intend to avail myself of the Resources section at the back of the book to take one of these trips through the agencies listed there, and experience the learning and adventure firsthand.

I'm looking forward to the next volume in the Bonehunter Series.

Thom Tansey's "In Search of Lost Civilizations: Adventures in Archeology" is a fascinating book. This is an account by the author of his travels to the sites of different ancient civilizations in Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Tansey is our guide through these many ancient civilizations, and what an interesting guide he is. As the reader is led through these ancient sites he becomes aware of the breadth of interest and knowledge of the author. Tansey is constantly asking why and how. He gives the reader information about archeology, paleontology, Native American history, biology, linguistics, culture, human migrations, animal migrations (such as how butterflies travel from the United States to Mexico and back), agriculture, geography, entomology, architecture, building construction, hunting, food, irrigation systems, astronomy, art, wars, mythology, jewelry, religion, geology, and many other subjects. For instance, on page 43 Tansey writes of rafting in Utah. He describes walking 100 yards from the river side and finding an abundance of fragments of fossils. He identifies them as crinoids. He tells us this area was under the sea hundreds of millions of years ago and there were vast underwater forests of crinoids then, ranging in height from several inches to several yards, swaying in the current. Crinoids, we learn, are also called sea lillies and belong to the echinoderm phylum, which they share with sea urchins, sand dollars, starfish, and sea cucumbers.

Here is a traveler whose interests seem to be all encompassing; someone who is curious about anything and everything and finds true pleasure in observing and learning. This is the kind of mind a formal education is supposed to develop, but rarely does. I would call this book highly informative, interesting, and intellectually stimulating. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

This was a fun book to read and informative on a great many subjects. Mr. Tansey becomes our personal guide as we walk with him on his exploration of archeological sites in the New World. The author carefully adds interesting facts which augment the central theme. Mr. Tansey obviously comes from a time when people enjoyed knowledge just for the sake of knowledge. They enjoyed understanding as much of the world around them as possible. From his diverse educational background he shares with us along our tour features from the world of archeology, early man in the New World, biology, geology, anthropology and paleontology.
Reading Tansey's book is like walking the wood with a naturalist. He sees and he shows you what he sees and how he came to see it. And in the bargain, he shows you how to make your own discoveries.

In Search Of Lost Civilizations: Adventures In Archaeology is the story of amateur archaeologist Thom Tansey's adventures as he sought to uncover the secrets of people who once flourished in the Western Hemisphere. We learn of Teotihuacan, the City of the Gods and the first true metropolis of the Americas (near modern-day Mexico City); the magnificent ruins left behind by the Maya of Tikal in Guatemala; the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi (a pueblo culture of the American southwest); the hand-dug canals and ditches of the Hohokam in the north of Peru; the Mound Builders of the Lower Mississippi Valley; and more. In Search Of Lost Civilizations is also a guidebook for those wanting to travel themselves to see such sights and offers a list of resources and contact information. There is also a lengthy bibliography of publications for further reading on the various archaeological and anthropological subjects covered in this fascinating and informative book. In Search Of Lost Civilizations is highly recommended reading for students of pre-Columbian history and archaeological exploration in the western hemisphere.

After reading the reviews this book got here on amazon.com, I ordered it.

When I finally read it I was very disappointed. It's actually an achievement that Mr. Tansey's writing style is so uninteresting that the very exciting subject of the book, drifts away in a haze of boredom.

It's like reading about the history of Spain by reading a few postcards from a beach bunny at Mallorca. Save your money and give it a miss. Haraldur Hallgrímsson, ICELAND