X Marks the Spot

The Story of Archaeology in Eight Extraordinary Discoveries

By: Michael Scott

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Paperback | 6 June 2024 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
19.5 x 12.8 x 2.2

Paperback

$38.50

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'Fascinating'

GREG JENNER

'I couldn't put it down'

JANINA RAMIREZ

'Fabulous'

NATALIE HAYNES

'Alive with the spirit of adventure'

RANULPH FIENNES

'If you love Indiana Jones, this is the real thing'

DAN SNOW

Ancient human footprints, stunning shipwrecks, mythical princesses and astonishing rituals...

In X Marks the Spot Professor Michael Scott traces the thrilling story of archaeology, from colonial expeditions to today's cutting-edge digs, unearthing traps, curses and buried treasure along the way. We meet the characters, some celebrated and some forgotten, who found world-famous discoveries like the Rosetta Stone, the Terracotta Warriors and Machu Picchu. We trek from the jungles of South America to the deserts of China, uncovering the true stories behind the wonders of past civilisations.

And we learn why X never, ever marks the spot...

Industry Reviews

If you love Indiana Jones, this is the real thing. Michael Scott celebrates the fusion of scholarship and adventure in a book full of both.

Through eight of history's most audacious acts of discovery, Michael Scott tells us the story of archaeology itself. This is a thrilling investigation of humankind's obsession with the physical remains of its past.

A fascinating book; both as a greatest hits compendium of archaeological breakthroughs, and as a subtle examination of how "discovery" has evolved. In tracing Archaeology's journey, Professor Michael Scott shows that "discovery" often required more than just courage, persistence, and talent, but also geopolitical pressure, local knowledge, dubious ethical choices, and pure blind luck!

Do you wish you knew more about some of the most fascinating archaeological discoveries made around the world? Then pick up Michael Scott's fabulous, learned, smart and never-dusty new book immediately. It's wonderful.

Michael Scott tells these stories in an affable, scholarly and accessible way with an expert eye, giving us incisive portraits of the fascinating, often difficult and driven characters who expanded the frontiers of knowledge, whilst also examining their actions in light of our modern values and debates about restitution, display and ongoing scholarly investigation.

An essential read for anyone with even a fleeting interest in exploring the past. Michael weaves a world around each discovery, which tells us as much about modern attitudes as it does about the ancient civilisations unearthed. I couldn't put it down!

Michael Scott deftly captures the trials and triumphs of archaeology, from the privations of life on a dig to the thrill of discovery. Wide-ranging in time and space, X Marks the Spot is a fascinating mix of history, biography and - above all - adventure.

Vivid, pacey and full of fascinating detail, X Marks the Spot is a riveting adventure through time, propelled by Michael Scott's excellent scholarship and accessible writing style.

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