Ancient Mysteries: Discover the latest intriguiging, Scientifically sound explanations to Age-old puzzles - Softcover

Peter James; Nick Thorpe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0345434889 ISBN 13: 9780345434883

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2001

Synopsis

For centuries, philosophers, scientists, and charlatans have attempted to decipher the baffling mysteries of our past, from Stonehenge to the lost continent of Atlantis. Today, however, DNA testing, radiocarbon dating, and other cutting-edge investigative tools, together with a healthy dose of common sense, are guiding us closer to the truth. Now historian Peter James and archaeologist Nick Thorpe tackle these age-old conundrums, presenting the latest information from the scientific community–and the most startling challenges to traditional explanations of mysteries such as:

· The rise and fall of the Maya
· A lost cache of Dead Sea Scrolls
· The curse of Tutankhamun
· The devastation of Sodom and Gomorrah
· The Nazca Lines and the Vinland Map
· The existence of Robin Hood

These true mystery stories twist and turn like a good whodunit, as James and Thorpe present the evidence for and against the expert theories, shedding new light on humankind’s age-old struggle to make sense of the past. Ancient Mysteries will entertain and enlighten, delight the curious and inform the serious.

About this title

Review:

There may be a wide gap between uncritical belief and hard-line skepticism, but that doesn't mean many writers have chosen to explore this territory. Now science writer Peter James and archaeologist Dr. Nick Thorpe have teamed up again to examine Ancient Mysteries, pledging allegiance to no theory or theorist, free to explore any explanation supported by the evidence. As often happens, they must finally throw up their hands in confusion, but getting there is half the fun.

Did King Arthur really exist? Who was Robin Hood? How did the enormous stone heads of Easter Island find their way to their resting places? Why did the Mayans disappear? These are some of the 37 big questions tackled by James and Thorpe in nearly 700 pages. A few of their selections may seem curious when compared to the puzzles that have gripped us for centuries, but overall their penetrating analyses of legend and archaeological data are fascinating and engagingly written. For those who can tolerate a bit of uncertainty in their reading, Ancient Mysteries will be a profoundly satisfying look into the fuzzy boundaries of our knowledge. --Rob Lightner

About the Author:

Peter James is a professional writer on ancient history and archeology. He studied at Birmingham and London universities and describes himself as a "generalist" in the study of the ancient Near East and Mediterranean. He has published numerous articles on ancient technology, chronology, and the history of science and is the principal author of the highly controversial Centuries of Darkness and a forthcoming book on Atlantis, The Sunken Kingdom.

Dr. Nick Thorpe, an archeologist in prehistory, studied at Reading and London universities and is now lecturer in archeology at King Alfred's College, Winchester. He directs research projects in Britain and Denmark. He has contributed articles on agriculture and chronology, metalworking, astronomy, and prehistoric society to numerous books and journals and is a coauthor of Centuries of Darkness.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0345434889
• ISBN 13: 9780345434883
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 672