Download or read book Discovery of the Past written by Alain Schnapp and published by . This book was released on 1997-02 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every civilized society, beginning with those of the ancient Egyptians and Chinese, has entertained a passionate curiosity about its predecessors. The means to that end is archaeology. This fascinating book defines the history of archaeology not as one of uninterrupted progress, but of the rediscovery and reinterpretation--often erratic--of forgotten observations. 370 illustrations, 68 in color.