Three Stones Make a Wall: The Story of Archaeology

by Eric H. Cline, Glynnis Fawkes (Illustrator)

From the bestselling author of 1177 B.C., a comprehensive history of archaeology--from its amateur beginnings to the cutting-edge science it is today

In 1922, Howard Carter peered into Tutankhamun's tomb for the first time, the only light coming from the candle in his outstretched hand. Urged to tell what he was seeing through the small opening he had cut in the door to the tomb, the Egyptologist famously replied, "I see wonderful things." Carter's fabulous discovery is just one of the many spellbinding stories told in Three Stones Make a Wall. Written by Eric Cline, an archaeologist with more than thirty seasons of excavation experience, this book traces the history of archaeology from an amateur pursuit to the cutting-edge science it is today by taking the reader on a tour of major archaeological sites and discoveries. Along the way, it addresses the questions archaeologists are asked most often: How do you know where to dig? How are excavations actually done? How do you know how old something is? Who gets to keep what is found? Taking readers from the pioneering digs of the eighteenth century to today's exciting new discoveries, Three Stones Make a Wall is a lively and essential introduction to the story of archaeology.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Archaeology, Science, Anthropology, Ancient History, Audiobook

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

DR. ERIC H. CLINE is the former Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and current Director of the Capitol Archaeological Institute at The George Washington University. A National Geographic Explorer, NEH Public Scholar, and Fulbright scholar with degrees from Dartmouth, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, he is an active field archaeologist with 30 seasons of excavation and survey experience in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus, Greece, Crete, and the United States, including ten seasons at the site of Megiddo (biblical Armageddon) in Israel from 1994-2014, and seven seasons at Tel Kabri, where he currently serves as Co-Director. A three-time winner of the Biblical Archaeology Society's "Best Popular Book on Archaeology" Award (2001, 2009, and 2011) and two-time winner of the American School of Archaeology's "Nancy Lapp Award for Best Popular Archaeology Book" (2014 and 2018), he is a popular lecturer who has appeared frequently on television documentaries and has also won national and local awards for both his research and his teaching. He is the author or editor of 20 books, almost 100 articles, and three recorded 14-lecture courses. His previous books written specifically for the general public include "The Battles of Armageddon: Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley from the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age" (2000), "Jerusalem Besieged: From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel" (2004), "From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible" (2007), "Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction" (2009), "The Trojan War: A Very Short Introduction" (2013), "1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed" (2014), “Three Stones Make a Wall: The Story of Archaeology" (2017), and “Digging Up Armageddon” (2020). He has also co-authored a children's book on Troy, entitled "Digging for Troy" (2011). For a video of his "Last Lecture" talk, go to http://vimeo.com/7091059.

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating introduction into the field of archeology and loads of archeological sites. Really enjoyed it!

[Jenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Really great overview of the history of archaeology. Especially enjoyed the little "interludes" that answer the questions I've always wanted to know - e.g. how do archaeologists know where to dig? I also like how annoyed Cline is about the terrible "aliens did it" ideas and bad television archaeology shows lol.

[Viktoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

винаги е удоволствие да чета Клайн, който пише с толкова любов за археологията

[Lauren Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific look at archaeology. Cline tells us how archaeologists decide where to dig, how they dig and what happens with what they find. He also goes into past digs from the ransacking archaeologists of old to contemporary ones. I think he might have spoken a bit more on the cultural appropriation issues but otherwise he did a great job introducing me to the reality of archaeology without condescension.

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Stones Make a Wall is an overview of a lot of different archaeological sites and how archaeology is actually done there, and how it has been done in the past. It only glancingly deals with sites about which whole books can or should be written, but it does so by highlighting everything that’s so fascinating about them, and it definitely whetted my appetite for more. It’s easy to read and not technical at all, and if you have read specialist books on any of the digs mentioned — Schliemann’s dig at Troy, for instance — then it won’t be new to you, but Cline’s enthusiasm makes it worth reading anyway.

His choice of sites is reasonably diverse, too, including Greek and Roman sites, Native American sites, Biblical sites and more. Honestly, if you’re looking for a general book to give you a survey of archaeology, or give you some ideas for sites you want to learn more about, I recommend this whole-heartedly. It’s the pop-archaeology book I was longing for, after a childhood raised on Channel 4’s Time Team. It includes a list of sources, so you can look things up for yourself, and contextualises each dig and discovery beautifully. In retrospect, I’m giving it five stars for being exactly what I wanted at exactly the right moment.

If you’re looking for something substantial, it probably won’t be for you, but if you’re grasshopper minded like me and enjoy the idea of getting a tour of half the globe in archaeology, it’s great.

Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.

[Ane Kongsdal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Clearly written for a wider audience, and for people who don't know much about archaeology but maybe watched Indiana Jones 436 times as a kid (*cough*). This book was meant to sate my curiosity, and ended up making me doubt whether I have enrolled in the correct study programme (it is not archaeology, for those who didn't get that)... My only complaint is that I wish it was about twice as long, so that I could learn more about everything mentioned. This is meant as both praise and critique. On the one hand it clearly mentioned all the things I expected, and more, and on the other hand I thought some of the segments were a bit too short.

This book delivers what it promises. We get insight into the history of archaeology: how it started, where we are at, and what may lie in the future. It also gives the reader information about important discoveries, different techniques, blunders and fraud, as well as history. What I particularly enjoyed, was how Cline would also explain how, like in the practical sense, archaeology can help verify or debunk historical myths. He also addresses some of the most frequently asked questions about this discipline, and has devoted an entire chapter to what most people may think of when they hear "archaeology", but which is really an entire field in itself; egyptology. I learned both that I need to read some books on this subject alone, and that there really is a lot more to archaeology than pyramids (and Greek pottery). Again, I wish this book was longer!

[Jakub · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, somewhat sterile, and often too abridged, account of digs around the world, a stark contrast to more mystical picture of the famous Ceram book. The strong point of the book is the focus on practical aspects of the digs: the methods, tools and techniques used. The book really shines when the author describes the excavations they were personally involved in, rather than grazing over a lot of headline-making sites in a bunch of brief paragraphs.

[Cheryl Olseth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for anyone who wishes they had pursued a career in archeology. In a readable format this book provides the history of archeology, as well as explanations about how sites are located, the excavation process and the latest methods technology is aiding the scientists. It is concise and interesting. I now feel ready to volunteer.

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. Good writing.

[Jakub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ak by som túto knižku čítal pred výberom vysokej školy, tak dnes je zo mňa archeológ :)

[Repix Pix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una narración entretenidísima, historias curiosas, entornos maravillosos y solo un par de pegas. Me han faltado imágenes, hay poquísimas, y que el libro hubiera sido revisado. He encontrado palabras mal escritas y, al principio sobre todo, alguna frase traducida de forma rara. No me ha molestado, pero en un libro de esta temática, al que se presupone una cierta calidad, no se puede permitir eso.
Eso sí, me ha encantado. :)

[Samantha Glasser]

Eric Cline gives an excellent overview of archaeology, which sites have been discovered, how they were found, what they mean and how the study of the past has changed over the decades. This is a massive sweeping book that breaks everything down into layman's terms for a general audience. It inspired me to start reading about some of the sites and civilizations described in the book, many of which I had never heard of.

[Hella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eigenlijk 3,5 ster. Interessant overzicht van de geschiedenis van de archeologie, de verschillende technieken die daarbij gebruikt werden en worden, en allerlei beroemde sites en opgravingen. De stijl is een beetje taai en repetitief (is dat een woord?)

[Paolo Bizzarri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meraviglioso libro sulla storia e sul senso dell'archeologia. L'autore riesce a restituire tutto il fascino di scoprire i resti delle civiltà antiche.

[Lenka Kyselova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, wonderful book. I’ve just finished it and then started re-reading it again.

[Mathilde Asuka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough one yet very interesting.

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. it covers quite a lot of different places. however I would have liked photos as it was hard to imagine some of the lesser known locations

[Elçin Avcı · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arkeoloji meraklıları için panorama niteliğinde bir eser olmuş. Türkçe baskısı maalesef yazım yanlışları ile dolu ve bazı yerlerde kelimeler daha eksik. Umarım yeni baskılarda sorunu düzeltirler.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been interested in archaeology, even took a class on it for n high school ages ago! This was a very interesting overview of how archaeology has evolved over the years and I found it to be informative and entertaining.

[Susan Brunner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book’s full title is Three Stones Make a Wall, The Story of Archaeology. The full Archaeological axiom is: One stone is a stone. Two stones is a feature. Three stones is a wall. Four Stones is a building. Five Stones is a palace. (Six Stones is a palace built by Aliens).

This is not the first book I have read by Eric Cline. I love archaeology and Eric Cline makes archaeology come alive. If you have not read anything on the subject this is a great book to read. This is not a new book, but it is also not that old. It was first published in 2017 and I got the paperback version published in 2018. You can tell from the reading that Eric Cline loves what he does.

Peter Lewis write a great review in StarTribune. I found another great review by Simon Caterson at The Sydney Morning Herald. Brian Fagan on Project Muse has a review and you can see an abstract on this site.

Eric Cline is on Junk Science and Archaeology. He speaks on his book called From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible, In another video with Eric Cline on YouTube he gives an short talk on how archaeologists decide where to dig. Meet the author in an interview of Dr. Eric Cline by Nick Barksdale.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this book was mentioned in a book I also abandoned (The Girl at the Border) earlier this year. It was about an archaeological dig and one of the characters mentioned she was reading again her dog eared copy of the "classic" archaeology book, Three Stones Make A Wall. I looked it up and sure enough, it is a real book and very well though of, at least on Goodreads.

Now admittedly, I am being a lot more aggressive about putting books on my Abandoned shelf. With a To Read list of over 1300(!) books, I don't have time for books that just don't agree with me. And, unfortunately, this was another one. My basic complaint with it is that it is written in short little bursts of 3 or 4 paragraphs, literally demarcated by a small graphic when the author "segues" into the next bit of info. And I put segues into quotes because there are no segues - he just leaps into the next 3 or 4 paragraphs, somewhat attached to the previous ones.

It just wasn't very elegant or interesting. It was hard to follow and thus I gave up after about 50 pages. Maybe if the style doesn't put you off like it did me, you would find it interesting. But I just couldn't get past it, so onto the Abandoned shelf it goes.

[Zb1113 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting survey of some very important archaeological digs, how they were done, what we gleaned of the culture/history from them, and how we have improved. There are stretches of the book that drag on a bit, but each chapter had something either unique or created a pattern of interesting connections between past cultures.

[James Empson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feel I just finished the lecture series for "Archaeology 101" at GWU. Liked the professor; clear, knowledgeable and entertaining.

[Eszter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Archäologie ist für viele ein Kindheitstraum. Irgendwann geben sie diesen Traum jedoch auf, gehen einem anderen Beruf nach. Ihr Interesse an der Archäologie bleibt aber, und irgendwo tief drinnen träumen sie noch immer davon, an archäologischen Ausgrabungen teilzunehmen. Dieses Buch ist für sie.

Und somit auch für mich. Seit ich 6 war, wollte ich unbedingt Archäologin werden. In unserem Garten lagen nach jedem Regen kleine Keramikscherben herum, die ich einfach nur einsammeln musste, um mich als großen Entdecker zu fühlen. Heute weiß ich natürlich, dass meine Vorgehensweise falsch war, damals hatte ich aber noch keine Ahnung, wie Archäologie in der Praxis funktioniert. Deshalb habe ich einige Jahre später meinem Geschichtslehrer geglaubt, als er mir erzählte, Ausgrabungen seien nur in meiner Phantasie so interessant, in der Wirklichkeit bestehen sie nur daraus, kleine Knochenstücke mit einer Zahnbürste sauber zu kriegen. Er hat meinem zehnjährigen Ich den Traum ausgeredet, er konnte aber mein Interesse an Geschichte und Archäologie nicht völlig ausrotten. Bis heute lese ich deshalb gerne Bücher zum Thema, so war es ganz natürlich, dass ich Versunkene Welten und wie man sie findet von Eric H. Cline lesen wollte.

Allerdings machten mir der reißerische Titel und das zu stark nach Photoshop riechende Cover ein wenig Angst, dass es sich hierbei um Pseudo-Archäologie handeln wird, deshalb recherchierte ich zunächst den Autor, der sich als echter Archäologe entpuppte, der an der George-Washington-Universität lehrt und in den Jahrzehnten seines Werdegangs an etlichen Ausgrabungen teilgenommen hat (so zum Beispiel in Megiddo und Tel Kabri).

Eric Cline ist aber nicht nur ein erfahrener Archäologe, er schreibt auch sehr gut. Es ist, als würde er vor mir sitzen und mir eine spannende Geschichte nach der anderen erzählen. Das liegt wahrscheinlich daran, dass diesem Buch seine Vorträge aus seinem Kurs „Einführung in die Archäologie“ als Basis dienen. Im Buch zeichnet er die Entwicklung der Archäologie nach, erzählt aber auch viel über die praktische Seite seines Fachs.

Das Buch führt den Leser zu ganz bekannten Grabungsstätten, nach Troja, Mesopotamien, Ägypten, und erzählt dabei über die Anfänge der Archäologie und über die ersten Archäologen, die meistens natürlich noch keine Archäologen waren, weil es dieses Fach noch nicht gab und die Funde sehr oft genauso behandelt wurden, wie ich es damals als Kind gemacht habe: es wurde alles ausgegraben, zusammengepackt und nach Hause gebracht. Es hat Jahrzehnte gebraucht, bis sich die heute gängigen Methoden ausgebildet haben und Funde endlich in ihrem Kontext behandelt wurden (und man nicht nur nach „Schätzen“ Ausschau hielt). Die bekannteste Geschichte ist hier wahrscheinlich Schliemanns Suche nach Troja und die Nachfolgende Ausgrabung, bei der Funde zusammen präsentiert wurden, die gar nicht an der gleichen Stelle gefunden wurden.

Cline bereist die ganze Welt mit uns, und wir überqueren dabei nicht nur Meere, Ozeane, Wüsten und Berge, sondern auch Jahrtausende. Zwischendurch sind kleine Abstecher eingefügt, wo wir der Methodik der Archäologie detaillierter nachgehen: „Woher weiß man, wo man graben muss?“, „Woher weiß man, wie man graben muss?“, „Wie alt ist das Objekt, und warum blieb es erhalten?“ und „Darf man das, was man gefunden hat, behalten?“ sind die Fragen, die dabei beantwortet werden.

Viele der Ausgrabungsstätten und Geschichten waren mir schon bekannt, aber auch in den Bereichen, wo ich mich als doch bewandert betrachte, konnte er mir Neues erzählen. Und hinzugekommen sind noch weitere Episoden aus der ständig wachsenden Geschichte der Archäologie, die ich nicht gekannt habe. Besonders gut hat mir gefallen, dass er einzelne Entdeckungen immer wieder auch zeitlich zueinander in Relation brachte.

Die Geschichte der Archäologie ist eine Geschichte, die kein Ende findet. Die Zeit schreitet unentwegt voran, was heute unsere Gegenwart ist, ist morgen bereits vergangen. Irgendwann werden unsere Nachfahren unser heutiges Leben mit dem gleichen Eifer erkunden, wie wir heute den Alltag in Pompeji zu rekonstruieren versuchen. Auch die Technik entwickelt sich ständig, so dass wir nicht unbedingt graben müssen, um mehr über die Geschichte einer Landschaft in Erfahrung zu bringen. Unsere Vergangenheit ist dabei aber auch gefährdet. Kriege haben viel dazu beigetragen, dass Zeugnisse vergangener Zeiten verloren gegangen sind (und auch heute noch verloren gehen), und der schwarze Markt für gestohlene Objekte hilft auch nicht.

Mich hat dieses Buch dazu inspiriert, mich noch mehr mit meinem Kindheitstraum von der Archäologie zu befassen und das in Zukunft nicht mehr nur in Theorie zu tun: Ich habe mich als Helfer bei einer Ausgrabung angemeldet. Ich glaube, eine eindeutigere Leseempfehlung kann ich an dieser Stelle nicht aussprechen.

[Barbara Osten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinated by archaeology, I wanted to find a book that would provide a foundation, and an overview of the field and its history. I found that and more in Three Stones Make a Wall: The Story of Archaeology by Eric H Cline.

Cline’s mother gave him a book called The Walls of Windy Troy by Heinrich Schliemann, written just for children, when he was only seven years old. That’s when he decided to become an archaeologist. This shows how important books are and how important it is to write books specifically for children. Cline more than fulfills his dream and you can feel his enthusiasm for his career in every word he writes.

Starting with early archaeology (Pompeii, Troy, Egyptian Pyramids, the Maya), to our earliest ancestors (anthropology), to the Greeks, the Romans, the Dead Sea Scrolls, cities in the desert such as Petra, and finally, a section on New World Archaeology (Nazca Lines, Machu Picchu, Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley, and findings at Jamestown), this book reads like a novel at times.

In the closing chapter, Cline briefly addresses how archaeology in the future will interpret us (and our Starbucks coffee shops and the like). It starts you thinking about what our future descendants will say about us one day.

The last one-hundred pages of this book are filled with chapter end notes, a comprehensive bibliography, and a thorough index. Overall, a well written book. Fascinating, informing, entertaining and thought- provoking. And one I will keep on my resource shelf for future writing projects.

[Leingrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Üzerinde yazdığı gibi arkeolojinin öyküsünü anlatan bir kitap. Günümüze kadar yapılmış olan en önemli kazıları ele alıyor. 2017 yılında yayınlandığı için kısmen güncel bir kitap olması önemli.

Özellikle belirtmeliyim ki kitabın kesinlikle akademik makale benzeri bir anlatımı yok. Yer yer okuyucu ile sohbet ediyormuş gibi ilerleyen, yazarın esprili ve eğlenceli bir dil kullandığı, kesinlikle okuyucuyu bunaltmayan bir anlatımı var.

Arkeoloji olgusu sadece kazı alanı ve bulgular olarak ele alınmamış, oldukça çok yönlü yazılmış. Kazı yapılan alanda yaşamış toplumların tarihini, bulguların zamanında nasıl üretildiğini, zaman içinde gelişen arkeoloji metodolojisini, tekniklerini ve teknolojisini, kazı alanlarının ve bulguların zaman içinde günümüze kadar başına gelen olayları (yıkılma, yağmalanma, çalınma, kaçırılma, kaybolma vs.), bulguların akademik, toplumsal ve siyasi etkilerini de okuyucuya aktarıyor. Dolayısı ile ortaya hiçbir şeyin havada kalmadığı doyurucu ve bütünlüklü bir eser çıkıyor.

Kitabın içinde görseller mevcut. Bu görsellerin hepsi gerçek fotoğrafların elle yapılan birebir çizimlerinden oluşuyor. Daha fazla görsel ve fotoğraf kullanılması gerekliymiş.

Sonuç olarak arkeolojiye ilgi duyan duymayan herkesin beğenerek okuyacağını düşündüğüm bir eser.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you know little about ancient civilizations or are a lover of archaeology, you will find much to appreciate in Three Stones Make a Wall. Eric Cline does a masterful job of creating an overview of world archaeology, highlighting all the major civilizations and many lesser known areas, and incorporating many quite recent findings. He also includes a lot of information about the history of archaeology and notable archaeologists as this may relate to particular sites. As a bonus, there are several chapters which demystiy and show the reality of an archaeologist's work, from determining where to dig, to choosing the right tools, to the average day in the field. His narrative flows easily and conversationally without the burden of too much jargon, and with many personal anecdotes from his career. Cline also presents some of the concerns around the protection and preservation of artifacts and cultural appropriation. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an accessible adn comprehensive introduction to archaeology and the most current findings. (Side note: The Great Courses has a class called Archaeology, which is essentially the college lecture version of this book, presented by Eric Cline.)

[Frrobins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about archaeology. In addition to learning about many fascinating ancient cultures, Cline was able to add a refreshing bit of humor to the subject. I often found myself Googling the places he was talking about, and often wish books like these had some sort of online companion with pictures of the places and objects that were discussed, as well as to illustrate some of the more technical concepts in archaeology.

Cline also explored issues pertinent to modern archaeology, such as the need for measures to prevent looting, and explained how archaeology can become politically contentious at times and gave the reader a feel for the complexity of these issues. Reading this was also a good demonstration on how science changes to accommodate the evidence that we find and gives the reader a good feel for how science works.

My sole quibble was that the chapter on Masada sort of petered out after the mystery of what happened there was presented and got me rather intrigued. Other than that this was a solid, enjoyable read.

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

It covers many headline archaeological discoveries and even some recent ones as well such as the Homo naledi cave excavation in South Africa. I happened to be familiar with most of them except perhaps the Uluburun shipwreck. But it mostly focuses on Greek, Mesopotamian, and New World digs. So, even though the Tang/Belitung shipwreck, for instance, is incredibly important historically, there is no mention of it. The Troy-Hissarlik dig's stratification was difficult to follow until I Googled it and came across this interactive map - https://www.archaeology.org/travel/in.... A 2D diagram inside the book would have been nice. Troy VIIa is Homer's Troy. The chapter on Dead Sea Scrolls was my favourite, followed by the Atlantis/Akrotiri one. The epilogue titled Back to the Future was hilarious.
While this book does have pen and ink illustrations, there are no coloured pictures of statues, figurines, maps, or frescoes in this book which seems like an oversight to me.

[Richard Rust · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conversational, broad in scope, non-technical, entertaining, several "Dad" jokes that fall a bit flat.

It is an excellent survey of archaeology today, with some history of the past. Filled with detail and some tittle-tattle of the competing professionals.

There is a companion piece that covers much the same ground in video on the Teaching company web site sponsored by National Geographic, also quite good.

Very good summer read, as most of the places he visits are very hot. So, you can get some sense of the locations while sitting in your own swelter.

Worth the time and price, the author, an accomplished lecturer, reads his work at Audible.com, and does that well, also.

One work on the same level: "The Buried Book," by David Damrosch.

Other works that demand a little bit more of the reader: "Prehistory: The Making of the Human Mind," by Colin Renfrew and "1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed," also by Eric H. Cline.