For centuries, philosophers, scientists, and charlatans have attempted to decipher the baffling mysteries of our past, from Stonehenge to the lost continent of Atlantis. Today, however, DNA testing, radiocarbon dating, and other cutting-edge investigative tools, together with a healthy dose of common sense, are guiding us closer to the truth. Now historian Peter James and archaeologist Nick Thorpe tackle these age-old conundrums, presenting the latest information from the scientific community-and the most startling challenges to traditional explanations of mysteries such as: • The rise and fall of the Maya • A lost cache of Dead Sea Scrolls • The curse of Tutankhamun • The devastation of