Today, Stonehenge and Machu Picchu are two of the most iconic tourist attractions in the world. Each year, millions visit to learn more about the religious beliefs of people who lived long ago. This book details the significance of Stonehenge and Machu Picchu, the current theories about their usage in ancient times, and the aspects of these sites that are still steeped in mystery.

An introduction to the secret teachings and ancient traditions of the Incas, covering initiation, tool gathering, shamanic work, the drawing of natural energies, and more.

Howard Carter's discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in 1923 sparked worldwide fascination about ancient Egypt, and the mysteries of the Egyptians still loom large. The Pyramids, the Sphinx, mummies, surviving artwork, and more all hold priceless clues about what life was like in ancient Egypt. This book takes a closer look at the information that archaeology has revealed and the lasting impact of these findings.

Due to a lack of artifacts, certain aspects of ancient life remain mysterious to us. Luckily, many ancient cultures left behind treasure troves designed to stand the test of time: tombs for the most elite among them. This exciting volume reveals how archaeologists discovered the tombs of King Tutankhamen, Qin Shi Huang, the Lord of Sipán, and many more. Through full-color photographs, maps, and text that answers common questions, the book provides a comprehensive look at how these discoveries provide critical information about the lives, art, health, and religious beliefs of people who lived thousands of years ago.

Secret societies in tribal societies turn out to be key to understanding the origins of social inequalities and state religions.

Artifacts related to early Christianity have immeasurable value to many different groups of people; they are prized by archaeologists, scholars, and worshipers for their connection to a religion that has shaped much of human history. Yet many of these artifacts, including the Shroud of Turin, are controversial. This book traces the beginnings of the faith through the objects associated with the religion's advent and describes what we know about the authenticity and history of some of the world's most priceless relics.

Television shows and movies emphasize gruesome rituals and violent warfare, but what was life really like in pre-Columbian cultures? This book presents a holistic view of Mayan and Amazonian civilizations and includes maps, stunning full-color photographs, and engaging sidebars about key figures. The book separates fact from fiction and demonstrates the rich history of the Americas.

Humanity's oldest stories and songs show that man has always been captivated by the mysteries of the sea. Though modern geographers and oceanographers have discovered many of the oceans' secrets, some stories about the water's strange powers remain popular. This book explains the tales surrounding the Bermuda Triangle and Atlantis, debunking myths through scientific and historical evidence.

Written by an international team of acknowledged experts, this excellent book studies a wide range of contributions and showcases new research on the archaeology, ritual and history of Greek mystery cults. With a lack of written evidence that exists for the mysteries, archaeology has proved central to explaining their significance and this volume is key to understanding a phenomenon central to Greek religion and society.

"Come, sit by me," says Grandmother. "Take this chalk in your hand. Now draw a dot and concentrate all your energy into this one dot. It is the beginning and the end, the navel of the world." So Fawzia Al-Rawi describes her grandmother's first lesson about the ancient craft of Oriental dance. Grandmother's Secretsalways circles back to this grandmother and this young girl, echoing the circular movements of the dance itself. Al-Rawi has written a strikingly graceful and original book that blends personal memoir with the history and theory of the dance known in the West as "belly dancing." It is the story of a young Arab girl as she is initiated into womanhood. It is a history of the dance from the earliest times through the days of the Pharaohs, the Roman Empire, to the Arab world of the last three centuries. It is a personal investigation into the effects of the dance's movements on individual parts of the body and the whole psyche. It is a guide to the actual techniques of the dance for those who are inspired to put down the book and move. Al-Rawi conveys in this book not only the history and technique of grieving and mourning dances, pregnancy and birth dances, but the spirit of these age-old rituals, and their possibilities for healing and empowering women today.