Written by the author of the very popular First Catch Your Weka, David Veart has written a book of rare distinction here. It's supposed to be an introduction for children to the topic but it's so brilliantly produced that I thoroughly recommend it to one and all.
It's entertaining atthe same time as being highly informative, full of superb illustrations, and evokes the best of the likes of the wonderful Time Team programmes from Britain. And it manages to cover a wide range of sites and eras of occupation without ever getting cluttered or cursory.
It even has short chapters on some loony non-science hoaxes that fool the gullible into thinking impossible stuff really happened and stuff that happened but, thanks to archaeology, turned out to be not quite what was originally thought. Of special appeal to the young will be items like dog poo, underpants, stolen whisky, fortifications and all sorts of slightly familiar bric-a-brac that makes it easy to make real connections with the past.
Wairarapa gets a look-in as does a very familiar corner of Wellington. Overall, this fabulous little book demonstrates very clearly my own recent happy realisation: "Who needs to go to Stonehenge?" It's all here.
Digging Up The Past: Archaeology for the Young and Curious
