History Buffs

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.

An Archaeologist's Guide to Headache-free GPR
Underwater Archaeology
Pioneering Laser-scan Technology Brings Rome's Catacombs to Life

Technoarchaeology

These days, archaeology is more likely to involve ground-penetrating radar, high-tech scanning, satallite or virtual reconstructions than a boys-own explorer in a fedora.

New technologies have allowed archaeologists to discover ancient sites in places that were previously innaccessible - such as deep underwater, and beneath jungle undergrowth.

With new technologies and incredible discoveries still emerging pretty much daily, it seems there's no limit to the wealth of antiquity yet to be explored.

latest news

Iran Cuts All Relations with British Museum Over Cyrus Cylinder
Doctor Who on Call at Stonehenge
popular
Light Up! Light Up! Hadrian's Wall to get Spectacular Light Show
The Restoration of Saint Anthony's Monastery near Al-Zaafarana, Egypt
Top 10 Interesting Facts About Pyramids
Local Info: Tips For Taking Part in Illuminating Hadrian's Wall
The Seven Ages of Britain - David Dimbleby
Queen Berenike's Bastet Temple Discovered in Alexandria
more
subscribe to Archaeology updates
Archaeology via feed
or delivered in your inbox:

find Heritage Key on Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Subscribe to RSS for the Latest News