Over thousands of years of human history civilizations have come and gone leaving behind the fragmented evidence of their existence. This superb collection of specially commissioned photographs and reconstructions shows the skill and expertise archaeologists use to unearth the past. Whether excavating human remains from the volcanic ash at Pompeii retrieving waterlogged tools from England's Fenlands or defrosting textiles from the Siberian ice archaeologists bring history to life with their investigative skills. Yet as in a true detective story investigators can be misled by the mass of fakes and forgeries designed to hide the truth or obscure the past. Written by Dr. Jane McIntosh an archaeologist and author of a number of best-selling books about the subject Archaeology is a unique and exciting introduction to modern archaeology and what it can tell us about the people and places of the past.