Ancient Mysteries

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.

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.

Archaeology Odyssey - Odyssey Publications Staff

Chock-full of fun-facts, helpful maps and diagrams, this lively reference work is an excellent companion volume to Thorpe and James' popular 1994 work on Ancient Inventions

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.