The Illustrated Practical Encyclopedia of Archaeology ─ The Key Sites, Who Discovered Them, and How to Become and Archaeologist

A professional field guide and practical companion to archaeology, packed with information to take the keen amateur or student archaeologist from beginner to advanced level

Features how-to photographic sequences of field surveys and step-by-step excavations, plus guidance on handling and recording finds and dating artifacts

Explores a wide range of the world's most important archaeological sites, spanning every period from early humans through to recent times

Includes fascinating profiles of some of the world's most famous and respected archaeologists, such as J.F. Champollion, decoder of the Rosetta Stone, and Howard Carter, discoverer of Tutankhamen's tomb

Gives advice on how to get involved in local research projects, restoration initiatives and actual excavations in the field

Authoritative but highly accessible text, written by leading international specialists and fully illustrated with over 1100 color photographs

Rediscovering the past through archaeological finds is a deeply satisfying and culturally important process. This book is the ultimate resource for the amateur, student or volunteer archaeologist as well as a fascinating reference guide for those interested in the world's greatest archaeological finds and those who discovered them

The opening section explores the many specialized fields of archaeology, from forensics applied to burial sites through to the deciphering of ancient languages. The techniques involved in conducting an excavation are unraveled stage by stage, from the initial surface sampling of a site to the post-excavation practices

The book then looks in detail at the people who have been responsible for many of the discoveries in world archaeology. This section includes profiles of archaeological pioneers such as Heinrich Schliemann, the excavator of Troy, and Howard Carter, the discoverer of Tutankhamen's tomb, and progresses to modern archaeologists such as Maria Reiche, who explored Peru's Nasca Lines, and Kathleen Kenyon, who made important excavations at Jericho

The final section explores the world's greatest archaeological discoveries. The journey begins in Africa, covering sites from the Blombos Cave in South Africa to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Following this comes the Middle East, with important sites such as Persepolis and Petra. The chapter on the Mediterranean explores Olympia and Pompeii among others, while European sites include Lascaux, Stonehenge and the Heuneburg. The tour continues in the Far East, with China's Terracotta Army and Angkor in Cambodia, and proceeds to sites in Oceania such as Easter Island. Finally the journey brings us to the many important ancient sites in the Americas, including the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan in Mexico and the Viking settlement of L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland

Illustrated with over 1100 photographs and maps, this comprehensive handbook is a must for any budding archaeologist. It will show how all the pieces of the archaeological jigsaw fit together to make up an ever-changing picture of human history, and inspire the enthusiast to build on their fascination with the past and develop a field of interest or even a fully-fledged career

Christopher Catling is a best-selling author whose interest in archaeology and world heritage began as a schoolboy. He writes for the Institute of Field Archaeology, the Society of Antiquaries, and English Heritage, and is the Vice-Chairman of Cotswolds Archaeology. He is also an established travel writer and has produced guides to Florence, Venice, Amsterdam, London, Madeira and Tuscany
Paul Bahn is a respected writer, editor and translator of books on archaeology. He studied archaeology at the University of Cambridge, and did his Ph.D. thesis on the prehistory of the French Pyrenees. He has held post-doctoral fellowships at Liverpool and London, plus a J. Paul Getty fellowship in the History of Art and the Humanities. Among his books are: Mammoths (with Adrian Lister, 1995; 2nd ed. 2000); Journey Through the Ice Age (with Jean Vertut, 1997); The Cambridge Illustrated History of Prehistoric Art (1998); Disgraceful Archaeology (with Bill Tidy, 1999); and The Enigmas of Easter Island (with John Henley, 2003)