The popular science novel of Archeology by Kurt Ceram has infected more than one generation of schoolchildren in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe with an interest in history and archeology, rivaling the popularity of the novels by Jules Verne and Stevenson. Because the real story of archaeological discoveries amazes the imagination no less than the adventures of fictional characters. The book has been translated into more than 28 languages and has a total circulation of more than 10 million copies.The mysteries of ancient civilizations, the fabulous treasures of royal tombs, traps, dangers and curses that lie in wait for daring explorers who ventured to extract temples of forgotten gods from oblivion ... Sounds like a teaser for an adventure film about the adventures of Indiana Jones or Lara Croft. The fact that archaeology has ceased to be a science of interest only to scientists is due, among other things, to Ceram's book. It is divided into four parts. The Book of Statues tells about the origin of archaeology in connection with the excavations of Pompeii, the discovery of Troy and Mycenae, which confirmed Heinrich Schliemann's hypothesis that Homer's Iliad is a reliable historical source. The following parts are devoted to uncovering the secrets of the ancient civilizations of Egypt ("The Book of Pyramids"), Mesopotamia ("The Book of Towers") and Mesoamerica ("The Book of Steps").The design uses illustrations from the original edition.This book will be useful and interesting for both schoolchildren and anyone who is interested in the history of archaeological discoveries, which has found a place for adventurism, risky expeditions, and inspired insights.