Tombs Graves and Mummies: 50 Discoveries in World Archaeology

Thombs, Graves & Mummies is a reference book, but not in the traditional sense. It does not have discoveries divided in alphabetical order but rather in 6 categories: Bones, Graves, Cemeteries, Tombs, Corpses, and Mummies. The Bones category includes information on Lucy, the Turkana Boy, the Neanderthals, and remains from eastern Asia and Australia as well as human sacrifices at Archanes-Anemospilia. Graves looks at mass burials, the "puzzle of Neanderthal burials," the remains of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, as well as other subjects. The Cemeteries section shows remains as they were discovered and also includes a photo of deformed skulls found at the Paracus Peninsula on the south coast of Peru manipulated when children had their heads wrapped to force their skulls to form in a shape aesthetically pleasing to their culture. Battlefield cemeteries are also covered including the Battle of Little Big Horn. Tombs include the Danish Bronze Age log coffin burials and includes an outfit of an Egtved girl that is over 3,000 years old. Tombs of the Persian Gulf and the Qin Terracotta Army are a few of many other tombs described.My favorite section is on Corpses. From the 5,000 year old Iceman to the victims of Pompeii and the Inka Mountain sacrifices, I find this area of study fascinating. The two subjects I found the most interesting are the Bog Bodies of Britain and Denmark and the tragedy of the Franklin Expedition. The photographs are amazing. The face of one of the Bog bodies looks so serene with even stubble growing on his chin yet he may have died a terrible death. The remains of the Franklin Expedition are so well preserved right down to their eyeballs that they look like they could almost start talking. The Mummies section covers mostly Ancient Egypt (the Valley of the Kings and the family of King Tut). The book is a fascinating overview of some of the greatest discoveries in archeology and will probably prompt the reader to look into more information on certain subjects (as I looked for more books on the Franklin Expedition). The hundreds of revealing photographs, most of which are in full color, make this book an excellent choice for anyone interested in any of the subjects above.