For thousands of years the occupants of the barren wastes and oases that would later become the Silk Road buried their dead in the desiccating sands of the Taklimakan, the second greatest desert on earth. This arid environment, preserving body and clothing, allows an unparalleled glimpse into the lives and appearance of a prehistoric people: these are the faces of ancient Indo-Europeans who settled in the Tarim Basin on the western rim of China some four millennia ago, 2000 years before West and East recognized each other's existence. The book examines the clues left by physical remains; economy, technology, and textiles; and traces of local languages. It is the definitive account of one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of recent times. 190 illustrations, 13 in color.

    Step back in time to discover the wonders of the ancient world.

    It shows how established research on votive deposits, rock art and production sites can contribute to a more imaginative approach to the prehistoric landscape, and can even shed light on the origins of monumental architecture. The discussion is illustrated through a wide range of European examples, and three extended case studies.An Archaeology of Natural Places extends the range of landscape studies and makes the results of modern research accessible to a wider audience, including students and academics, field archaeologists, and those working in heritage management.

    World-class dinosaur sculptor Brian Cooley takes kids on a journey into the recent past, when dinosaurs were thought to be cold-blooded, lumbering, solitary creatures. As Brian explains, paleontologists went on to discover new fossils that proved dinosaurs were lean, swift and gregarious. This shift in viewpoint was dramatic, but today there is an even more radical development: the overwhelming evidence indicates that some dinosaurs were feathered, the ancestors of avian life as we know it today.In Make-a-saurus, Brian reveals just how paleontologists were able to establish that some dinosaurs had feathers. Then he shows how he builds his own feathered model. First, he gathers all the information he can about how the dinosaur looked, beginning with the skeleton. The next step for Brian is creating a rough sketch of the creature, before moving on to shaping the model and applying the fine details. Photographs taken during each step of the process enable children to see a life-like dinosaur model grow before their eyes -- one that recently appeared in National Geographic.In the last section of the book, Brian adapts his professional model-building for children, telling them how to construct their own dinosaur -- feathered or rough-skinned -- with clear, easy-to-follow instructions, using inexpensive, easy to find materials like wire, tape, papier mache and even dryer lint! Brian brings a light, bright touch to the instructions, so children can truly enjoy creating a dinosaur of their own -- one that can be handled and played with, not just shelved."If you want a dinosaur to look as if it could walk right off the pedestal and bite you, you would hire Brian Cooley." (Chris Sloan, Art Director, "National Geographic")