The history of archaeology is populated with cavalier aristocrats, hard-nosed scientific geniuses – and no small amount of controversy, deceit and downright quackery.

One of the first famous archaeologists was 18th-19th century Venetian explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni. By discovering the incredible 'Young Memnon' statue of Ramesses the Great and opening Seti I's magnificent tomb, Batista has nailed down his place as one of Egyptology's biggest pioneers.

But it was the discovery by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon of King Tut's tomb in 1922 that really put archaeology on the map. The incredible treasures discovered in Tutankhamun's tomb are currently on tour around the USA, in sell-out exhibitions that are testament to the popularity of the boy king.