Preview
  • A Little History of Archaeology

  • By: Brian Fagan
  • Narrated by: Kevin Scollin
  • Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (33 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

A Little History of Archaeology

By: Brian Fagan
Narrated by: Kevin Scollin
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The thrilling history of archaeological adventure, with tales of danger, debate, audacious explorers, and astonishing discoveries around the globe

What is archaeology? The word may bring to mind images of golden pharaohs and lost civilizations or Neanderthal skulls and Ice Age cave art. Archaeology is all of these, but also far more: the only science to encompass the entire span of human history - more than three million years!

This Little History tells the riveting stories of some of the great archaeologists and their amazing discoveries around the globe: ancient Egyptian tombs, Mayan ruins, the first colonial settlements at Jamestown, mysterious Stonehenge, the incredibly preserved Pompeii, and many, many more. In 40 brief, exciting chapters, the book recounts archaeology's development from its 18th-century origins to its 21st-century technological advances, including remote sensing capabilities and satellite imagery techniques that have revolutionized the field.

Shining light on the most intriguing events in the history of the field, this absolutely up-to-date book illuminates archaeology's controversies, discoveries, heroes and scoundrels, global sites, and newest methods for curious listeners of every age.

Cover illustrations by Joe McLaren

©2018 Brian Fagan (P)2018 Audible, Inc.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about A Little History of Archaeology

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    18
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Overview! Highly Recommend!

Pro Tip: Speed up the recording. It's much more enjoyable at about 1.2-1.5x speed.

Fagan does a wonderful job of tracing the history of archaeology through specific digs & discoveries, individuals, civilizations, and the theories and techniques of the discipline. Easy to listen to & understand, it is concise but still detailed.
It does get a little dry around the bioanthropology section (ch 28-32ish) but keep going and it is well worth it!!

Highly recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great performance, expansive content.

Chronological story of archaeological history spanning multiple periods, regions and individuals. The performance was well done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

If you Know NOTHING about Archaeology - then.....

this book is for you! Brain Fagan is an excellent Archaeologist, but this book does not do him justice. It is a slow listen. The narrator not so great. And if you are well versed in the profession don't bother getting. If you know nothing and want to learn than it will be worth it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Like Kent Brockman reading me the encyclopedia

I have a lot of respect for Brian Fagan, but this book of 40 short chapters reads more like an encyclopedia than a history--none of the people or archaological sites "come alive" in any way. I'm as annoyed by this book as I was by my Intro to Archaeology class in college: archaeology is one of the most interesting of all possible subjects, since it covers lost mysteries of humanity, treasures of art and culture (and some gold and jewels too!), real-life human adventurers, beautiful remote locations...and this book turns it into a series of dry facts. It seems like some specialists in this field forget that overviews of their subject can have both scholarly AND narrative value.

The narrator was a bad choice, too--it sounds like he's enclosing every fifth word in scare quotes.

Overall, I'd say this one isn't worth a credit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful