A review by wwatts1734
Gods, Graves & Scholars: The Story of Archaeology by C. W. Ceram

4.0

Who would have thought that archeology could be this cool? Written by CW Ceram, who actually was a propaganda writer for Adolf Hitler in the 1930s and 1940s, "God Graves and Scholars" is an adventure through the archeological sites of the 19th and 20th centuries. Ceram describes the great discoveries of Troy and Knossos, the discovery of the tomb of King Tut in the 1920s and various archeological discoveries in the jungles of Mexico and Peru. Through it all, Ceram captures the spirit of adventure that underlied these digs. As I read this book, I wondered if the Indiana Jones character in the famous movie was at least partly inspired by the works of Ceram. It really was an interesting take on what could be a very boring topic.

If you are looking for a highly technical and in depth analysis of archeology and the finds of the past two centuries, this is not the book for you. But if you want to read an interesting introduction to the great archeological finds of the past 150 years, this is a great book.