Dig! Format: Hardback

Uncover the secrets of the past with the latest archaeological knowhow in Dig!, a scientific journey through millions of years of human history.

Do you have a favourite history fact? Maybe you know that the ancient Romans had central heating, or that humans once shared this planet with giant sloths. But have you ever wondered how we know all that? The answer is archaeology!

The ancient past may seem like it's frozen in time, but in fact it never stops changing, thanks to archaeology. In Dig!, you'll join archaeologists on excavations, marvel at the most incredible archaeological finds, and even witness the world as it was hundreds, thousands and millions of years ago. Real-life archaeologist Ruth Hatfield is your expert guide to the wonders of this amazing science, peeling back the layers with bitesize, clear and simple text. Illustrator Sophia Watts brings the past to life in buzzing, detail-rich scenes and spotlight artefacts.

As you dig up the history beneath your feet, here are just some of the finds you'll come face-to-face with:

• Our earliest ancestor in Ethiopia
• The Vikings' softer side
• Hundred-thousand-year-old head lice
• The afterlife army of China's first emperor
• A Greek palace buried 3,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption
• The 'living' archaeology of rapidly changing places
• ... and all the techniques archaeologists use to investigate, from cutting-edge technology to the simple power of observation!

When you're finished digging up the past, turn to the back of the book for a complete timeline of your discoveries, as well as tips on how to start doing archaeology from your own back garden.

Dig! is packed with the newest and most fascinating facts from the world of archaeology, and is perfect for any budding historian 6–8 years old, as a STEM-focused introduction to a future career – or simply as an invitation to go outside, get some dirt under their fingernails, and see what they dig up!

Ruth Hatfield lives in Cambridge, however as a field archaeologist she is often to be found in far flung locations around the world. Ruth has been writing stories for most of her life, and what she loves most is to explore the way in which imagination gives limitless possibilities to make our own lives extraordinary. In her spare time she eats books, gallops around on horses, pedals around on her bike and tries not to break too many bones.
Her debut novel, The Book of Storms was published in the UK by Hot Key Books in 2014 and in the USA by Henry Holt in 2015. The Book of Storms is part of a trilogy, the second of which, The Colour of Darkness was published in the UK in 2015 and 2016 in the USA. The final part, The Book of Shadows was published in the UK in 2016 and in the USA in 2017.

Sophia Watts (she/her) is a designer and illustrator from Nottingham. She graduated from Leeds Arts University with a first class honours degree in Illustration and is currently based in South West London where she lives with her girlfriend. Sophia's passions include animals, food and travel, themes that feature prominently in her work. She particularly enjoys creating scenes that capture the true essence of the places she visits, adding in the small nuances that make each location unique.