Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: 100 Discoveries That Changed the World by Ann R. Williams

Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: 100 Discoveries That Changed the World Reviews

• 
  Lorraine

  3.66 million years ago to present. The known world. Editor Ann R. Williams’ Lost Cities Ancient Tombs, 100 Discoveries That Changed the World, is a amazing book that discusses archeological findings that span an unbelievable amount of time. As mentioned by Douglass Preston in the introduction, all finds in the 20th c and before have been done with traditional methods such as large amounts of time, slowly digging by hand, using small brushes to sweep away minute amounts of dirt or sand, sifting through the sites dirt or sands, etc. makes this book all the more fantastic. From the discovery of a “little skeleton” on the island of Flores, Indonesia to the Black Pharaohs (from Nubia - present-day Sudan) and their Egyptian pyramids, to the Old Ones of the Southwest and their cliff dwellings ‘protected in Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado), to true reality of Jamestown makes each 3-5 page entry all the more captivating. Very highly recommended! 5 stars.
• 
  Peter Tillman

  Brief illustrated essays on 100 events and cultures in human history, from the dawn of genus Homo in east Africa 3.66 million years ago to the rediscovery of the 1912 Titanic shipwreck. The book offers glimpses of many facets of human history, all readable but without much depth. The photo illustrations vary in quality but are always welcome. This would be a good book to check out from your public library and browse, particularly for topics you are unfamiliar with. I enjoyed it but there was less there than I had hoped. The promise of the wonderful cover art isn't quite fulfilled.
• 
  Claudia

  National Geographic editors collected 100 snapshots of "treasure". Not all shimmers with gold and gemstones. Some are fragments of bone. Some are discoveries and archaeologists/historians have no idea what culture these fragments are from.
  
  The book is broken into 12 sections with each 'chapter' being only 4-6 pages long along with at least one photograph. Just grabbing 3 or 4 of the 8 to 12 chapters in each section although all are intriguing.
  
  1) 3.6 mya to 50,000 BC: Bones of Our Ancestors - - hominid footprints frozen in hardened 3.66 million-year-old volcanic ash to the skeleton of Lucy, the "hobbits" of Indonesia or the Denisovans of Siberia.
  2) 50,000 - 3000 BC: The Dawn of Culture - Ötzi's mummified remains, Gobekli Tepe, the rock art of Australia along with areas of the Sahara, Lauscaux and Chauvet.
  3) 3000 - 1500 BC: The Foundations of Society - Hammurabi's Law stele, the pyramid builders, Akrotiri and India's Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.
  4) 1500 - 1000 BC: Converging Worlds - Hattusha's records in clay, Troy, a battlefield of bones over a causeway in Germany (no one knows who was fighting whom) the Marna letters.
  5) 1000 - 500 BC: Ancient Tribes and Dynasties - Mexico's Olmec stone heads, the search for the historic King David, Nubian pharaohs, and a Celtic chieftain's Iron Age burial site in Germany.
  6)500 - 200 BC: An Age of Artisans - Scythian warriors of both sexes, the antikytherea mechanism, Greek bronzes pulled from the sea off the coast of Italy, the terra-cotta figures of the Nok of Nigeria and Qui Shi Huang Di's army.
  7) 200 BC - AD 75: Rituals and Religion - The Rosetta Stone and hieroglyphics, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bactrian royal graves in Afghanistan and the bog bodies of northern Europe.
  8) AD 75 - 600: Tombs and Temples - Petra, Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Sutton Hoo ship, cave art of Ajanta and the late Roman mosaics of Huqoq.
  9) AD 600 - 1000: Surprises and Mysteries - Easter Island moai, the Oseberg ship, Wari royal tombs, and the Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows.
  10) AD 1000- 1200: Great Builders - Cahokia, Great Zimbabwe, Angkor Wat, the east African Swahili city-states of Kilwa and Songo Mnara.
  11) 1200 - 1600: Soverigns and Citizens - Novgorod's medieval birch bark scrolls and letters, Kublai Khan's lost armada, the Mary Rose of Henry VIII and the child mummies of the Andes.
  12) 1600 - present: A Changing World Order - Jamestown's dark episodes, Port Royal sunk beneath the waves, the Clothilda, the last known slave voyage ship and of course, the Titanic.
  
  It ends with some well-known sites that are still reluctantly giving up secrets like the Valley of the Kings. The missing burial sites of Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. And the locations that are still keeping their secrets but it is only a matter of time before Amazonia, the ocean and even the permafrost allows peeks of the long-hidden.
  
  Of course there is also a section on the scientific technology that scientists and archaeologists are using today from ground penetrating radar, lidar, aerial imagery, metal detection and magnetometry to thermoluminescence and dendochronology.
  
  An excellent overview of some of the treasures of history especially when some determined people can focus on finding history and secrets. Of course, there are the surprises that suddenly appear where no one expects them to.
  
  2022-214
• 
  Julie

  Any history buff would adore this book. I learned so much about so many different civilizations, lost cities and treasures, and their cultural significance. Sure, there were some that were familiar, like King Tut and Stonehenge, but many more that I knew nothing about, especially in the New World. I didn’t realize there was scant (if any) archeological proof that the biblical kings David and Solomon existed.
  
  Each city or tomb is presented in 4-6 page bite-sized chunks with lovely photos. It’s chronological, starting from the most ancient to the most recent and everything from shipwrecks to mummies to caches of gold are offered. It’s really an archeological delight, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever had Indiana Jones aspirations.
  
  I received a complimentary copy of this book via TLC Book Tours.
  
• 
  Chazley

  I just intended to flip through this book and look at the pictures, but I ended up reading the whole thing and wishing it was 200 discoveries and not a measly 100. Every single one of them was amazing and taught me something new about the world. If you're interested in archaeology, anthropology, history, and/or buried treasure, I highly recommend this book.
• 
  Jim

  A good summary and introduction to many fascinating archeological finds. As an avid reader of National Geographic and Smithsonian over the years, as a way to feed my interest in the field, many of these short pieces were on digs I was fairly familiar with, though more-recent discoveries and advances in scientific applications delivered quite a few surprises and good information. They failed, however, to make note of my second-grade dig on Edgewater Island near Charleston, probably because I didn't publish my paltry findings. The saddest thing about many of these stories is the amount of knowledge lost to the world because of looters. I would love to see some of these collections and sites. I have visited a few, and I can stand there and watch the process almost as if I am in a trance. Some of the best lectures I have heard are from field archeologists explaining what they were doing and what they were finding. Probably the best thing this collection can do is inspire future archaeologists. It seemed that the work relied heavily on NG. I wish there had been a few more pictures of the finds, but that can easily be remedied by looking up the different collections of finds online, which I have actually been doing.
• 
  Santiago Endara

  A well researched chronological account of the most relevant archaeological discoveries, from the first hominids to the Titanic. Each discovery is recounted in around 4 pages.
  
  Some of the facts I was surprised to discover reading this book:
  1) Most ancient tombs have been already looted throughout the ages and archaeologists are either finding what is left by looters or if they are really lucky, an unopened one.
  2) New technologies are considerably helping in discovering archaeological sites. Such technologies are among others, satellite images, devices that can analyze the composition of the underground soil, DNA testing, etc.
  3) With the help of new technologies, spectacular archaeological discoveries are still possible in our times.
  
  I think that the chapters in this book were written by different people, so I found some accounts better written than others and therefore, more appealing.
  
• 
  Peter Lipták

  Veľmi infomatívne a vizuálne krásne spracované.
• 
  Jasmine

  Very Western-centric. About half-way through and only a handful of sites after the human evolution centre were outside the Western World. Do no recommend.
• 
  Audrey H. (audreyapproved)

  Not for me. More of a coffee table book than a piece of nonfiction - there are 100 small chapters that range across various ancient tombs and archeological sites. I flipped through this, but I'm not interested in reading from cover to cover.
• 
  Leah

  An amazing look at some of the great archeological discoveries of history. Though my personal favorites were the lost cities and ancient tombs mentioned in the title, the entries range from prehistory to the Titanic. My only complaint is that I wish there had been more. Because there are 100 entries, each item receives only a few pages. Kid me would have loved paging through this book, but adult me wants to know a little more about every single discovery.
• 
  Lizabeth Tucker

  
  A collection of "100 Discoveries That Changed the World" as the subtitle states. Divided into chapters covering certain period of times that were essential in the development of humans and civilizations. Then there are sub-chapters, so to speak, that focus on more specific finds, from the first steps of humankind to the discovery of the Titanic.
  
  Much has changed over the centuries both with the development of technology and the change in attitudes over the way important discoveries are handled, both culturally and in regards to the items taken. A little bit of this is reflected in this book as well.
  
  This is one very chunky book, but a great way to lightly explore some of the most important archaeological finds of humankind. This is really better suited to someone wanting a light overview or perhaps searching for the next topic they can find a more detailed account of, whether in book or video form. There is no real age restriction on this book. In fact, I think this would be perfect for middle school readers who are discovering the fascination of archaeology and anthropology. 4 out of 5.
• 
  Richard L.

  3 stars, strictly following this website's ratings guidance; i.e., "liked it" but didn't love it.
  * Understandable that describing 100 important archaeological discoveries into a single volume necessarily requires brevity.
  * However, 3-4 pages per discovery inevitably feels like short shrift for some if not many entries. Perhaps it is better to regard this book as a starter's guide to (mostly western) archaeology.
  * The writing itself is adequate, but not particularly inspiring, given the historical importance ascribed to the contents, and actually begins to feel repetitive if too many entries are read consecutively.
  * While acknowledging the book length of ~500 pages, it also felt strange for a National Geographic publication to offer no maps and only one photograph per discovery. To misquote, when it comes to subject matter of this sort, "show, don't just tell."
  * Enjoyed flipping through it and reading some of it, but definitely wished for more in many ways, particularly visually and geographically.
• 
  Laura

  Do you love histories mysteries or know of someone that does? Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs is the perfect book for any history lover. This new book from National Geographic is a large hardcover book that chronicles “100 discoveries that changed the world.”
  
  The book covers the time period from 3.6 million years ago from bones of our ancestors like Lucy to almost present day with the finding of the Titanic. Each section tells the story of a great archaeological discovery along with fantastic pictures. From the legend of Troy, to the search for King David, to the disappearance of the H.L. Hunley, this book tells the story of some of histories greatest mysteries and how they were discovered by explorers or archaeologists. I enjoyed that this book covered great finds from all over the world throughout our entire history. It’s up to date with more current finds. I knew some of the discovers, but not most. It is a very intriguing book to read. I’ve always loved these types of discoveries. Reading about them makes me feel like Indiana Jones from the comfort of my own home.
  
  I liked that the book had a great introduction and afterward. In the afterward, there was also a list of prospects that may hold more surprises from the Great Wall of China to the unknown tomb of Alexander the Great. A section is also included on current technologies that are used to discover the past such as aerial imager and ground penetrating radar. A good index is also included. I love indexes and I am always happy when they are included in a history book.
  
  Overall, Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs is a fascinating look into one hundred great discoveries that help us to learn about our history. It’s a great book for history and archaeology lovers or those who would like to learn more.
  
  Book Source: Review Copy from Hachette Book Group as part of the TLC Book Tour. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
  
  This review was first posted on my blog at:
  https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2021...
• 
  A B

  Very highly recommended! It looks like a coffee table book but it's one that you and your coffee guests will actually pick up and read.
  
  This book contains 100 brief chapters, in chronological order, of archaeological discoveries that are worthy of your reading time. There are some that most people are already familiar with, such as Stonehenge, the pyramids of Egypt, Pompeii, and Machu Picchu. There are others that you may not have heard of but are no less fascinating, like the Saxon ship at Sutton Hoo or the astonishing discovery of Knossos in Crete.
  
  The amount of information is just right for laymen, with enough detail to satisfy those who are already familiar with some of the entries and are looking for more (this was the case for me with the bog bodies and Iceman chapters).
  
  I also appreciate how thoroughly the book gives credit to the professionals and everyday people who made these discoveries. Even a French dog named Robot is credited with helping to find the remarkable cave paintings!
  
  What is disappointing is the amount of blank space. Seriously, some pages have a small paragraph at the top and the rest of the page is blank. Add some more pictures instead of wasting that space. Or, better yet, ADD SOME MAPS! Not a single map in this book. I am genuinely curious about locations so I was frequently consulting my own map books to pinpoint where these locations are.
  
  I was also increasingly concerned about how - particularly for the more modern discoveries- the tone was not as neutral and some violence was glossed over, and to some extent excused. I wonder if someone else wrote the latter chapters, or edited them for more wokeness. For example, Genghis Khan and the Vikings are mesmerizing historical figures/peoples, but the book completely slides right over the death and destruction left in their wake. The Inca ice maiden's fate - which was murder as a sacrifice - is actually romanticized. It's OK to appreciate a culture's good points while admitting their less-good points.
• 
  Booksoverhoes

  Większość z tego, co obecnie wiemy o przeszłości, ewolucji człowieka i zalążkach cywilizacji - ktoś kiedyś musiał odkryć. Odkopać w ruinach miast, które dawno zaginęły w mrokach historii, powoli, warstwa po warstwie zdejmować pędzelkiem kurz dziejów ze starożytnych artefaktów, odcyfrowywać niezrozumiałe manuskrypty, podążać w głąb dżungli za starymi legendami. I o tym właśnie jest ta książka.
  
  Niektóre z przedstawionych tu odkryć są bardzo znane (jak grobowiec Tutenchamona albo terakotowa armia), jednak z wieloma z nich spotkałam się po raz pierwszy. A nawet te najbardziej rozpoznawalne pomniki historii zostały przedstawione w nieoczywisty sposób - na przykład zamiast skupiać się na piramidach, autorzy mówili o realiach życia ludzi, którzy je zbudowali!
  
  I tak oto całe cywilizacje, kultury i budowle minionych tysiącleci, o których nigdy wcześniej nie słyszałam, wyłaniały się ze stron tej książki - tak samo, jak wcześniej z mroków historii wydobywali je archeolodzy.
  
  Polecam zaopatrzyć się podczas czytania w mapę, żeby móc śledzić tereny, na których powstawały i upadały kolejne kultury. Polecam też dawkować sobie lekturę, bo nie jest to książka, którą się połyka, a raczej chłonie.
  
  Kocham pozycje z cyklu National Geographic - zachwycają od strony wizualnej, są kopalniami ciekawych informacji i za każdym razem poruszają tematy, które niezwykle mnie interesują. Ale mam z nimi jeden przeogromny problem - jest w nich sporo błędów. Tu niepoprawny szyk zdania, tam dziwna składnia, z jednej strony atakują nas powtórzenia, z drugiej źle odmienione wyrazy, błędna kolejność przymiotników, albo w ogóle nieodpowiednio użyte słowa. Wspominałam o tym już przy "Pytaniach z kosmosu" i, choć tym razem było trochę lepiej, dalej niesamowicie mnie to raziło. Czasem brakowało mi też wyjaśnienia pewnych terminów.
• 
  ManOfLaBook.com

  For more reviews and bookish posts visit:
  https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
  
  Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: 100 Discoveries That Changed the World edited by Ann R. Williams tells of fantastic discoveries which helped us understand our past. Ms. Williams is a writer and archaeologist from Washing, DC.
  
  I had a really good time flipping through Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: 100 Discoveries That Changed the World. Each one of the many sections of this book is altogether short, 3-5 pages including pictures. The advantage of this format is that you can basically go to sections you’re interested in, and skip others. From the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, to Machu Picchu in Peru, and on to Jamestown in Virginia, Tel Dan in Israel, as well as many others. All fascinating, all worth more than one visit, and certainly all deserve to be in books such as this.
  
  I discovered that I was in in 10-15 places the book mentions, not including the King Tut exhibit in Philadelphia. Being in a place gives one a different viewpoint, then just reading about it. Luckily, several others are within reach (long weekends) and I certainly intend to make the voyage – time, work, school, and family permitting.
  I’m sure the stars will align at some point, even though it might take some time.
  
  Besides enjoying the sections about places I’ve been to (and, indeed, wish I would have read them before going), there are several other wonderful places that I either always wanted to go to, or discovered in this book. The pyramids in Egypt, Petra in Jordan, as well as Mesa Verde in Colorado just to name a few.
• 
  Thomas

  A fantastic, fascinating read detailing 100 discoveries across the world that has helped us understand our history. The book is packed full of known and unknown civilizations from Romans and Incas to little known groups in Cambodia and Zimbabwe.
  
  The book is divided into several chunks focusing on a time period from 10000BC to the sinking of the Titanic. What I found kost interesting was the new cultures and little known ones that piqued my interest and it took me a while to read and finish this book because I would stop to Google to see the places like the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, said to be Jesus resting place.
  
  Another interesting part of the book is the afterword which details a few parts of discovery ongoing along with modern techniques that are being used in archaeology and may change or enhance our understanding of our past and what we think we know.
  
  A high quality and engrossing book, perfect for general readers and history buffs. I read on kindle but I will be getting a copy for my shelves too.
• 
  JT Foster

  The ancient cities and artifacts documented throught this book provide a crash course in human history from African cave paintings and Mesopotamian writings to the founding of Jamestown and the sinking of the Titanic. The 100 subjects aren't covered in super lengthy detail, however they point the reader towards a plethora of prime history to explore further by focusing on the gist of what these artifacts reveal about specific ancient societies and how they were uncovered by archeologists. Every chapter is accompanied with color pictures, though not cluttered. It's a very sleek presentation overall.
  
  For avid history buffs, it probably won't knock your socks off, however it covers such a broad spectrum of history that it can still be refreshing to flip through. The perfect type of book to leave laying around your living room for guests to browse.
• 
  Rangga Sukmawijaya

  Seratus penemuan penting yang pernah terjadi di bidang arkeologi diceritakan secara singkat-singkat di buku ini. Masing-masing hanya sekitar tiga sampai empat halaman. Disusun berdasarkan usia temuan (bukan kronologi peristiwa penemuan), buku ini dimulai dari penemuan jejak kaki di Tanzania yang berusia 3,6 juta tahun dan ditutup dengan penemuan bangkai kapal Titanic yang tenggelam di tahun 1912. Inilah penemuan-penemuan yang banyak menginspirasi kisah-kisah petualangan di sejarah literasi dunia. Di dua belas bab, kita diajak berpetualang bersama para arkeolog, dengan berbagai peralatan mereka, dan kesulitan-kesulitan yang mereka hadapi dalam usaha mereka mengungkapkan kehidupan masa lalu manusia.
• 
  LJ

  4.5 stars
  Absolutely fascinating and so hard to put down.
  There were so many incredible and captivating discoveries in this book, dating back over a huge span of time. It brings them all together amazingly, along with hundreds of images to accompany the information.
  The chapters are short which kept my interest but at the same time I wanted more as sometimes two or three pages were not enough. I ended up doing a lot of googling!
  Highly recommend for anyone interested in archeology or history!
• 
  Nicole Westen

  A nice kind of round-up of some of the most stunning archeological discoveries in the world. If you're a history buff, like I am, then you might find the beginning a bit boring. The book goes in chronological order, so much of the beginning covers the familiar discoveries in Egypt and Mesopotamia and you've been reading about since middle school. I love that the Sutton Hoo burial, the Oseberg Ship, and Cahokia all made the list.
• 
  Ryan

  This is hard to rate as it leaves a lot to be desired. The book gives 3 to 4 pages of a quick synopsis of what was found and of the search itself. It's a good back that pushes you to Google interesting items and go read elsewhere, just not here. It does give a pretty quick overview of basically all human history though
• 
  Shaie B

  A nice overview of the great stepping stones of archaeology, but I quickly discovered a couple things about myself: 1. I like lots of detail and pictures, and 2. Some parts of history (prehistory/paleontology) don’t greatly interest me. For a general glimpse of archaeology’s history, it’s great, but I’m going to want to find other books to dive deeper into my favorite finds.