What is archaeology and why does it attract so many enthusiasts across the barriers of class and education? In Experiencing the Past , Michael Shanks presents an exploration of the character of archaeology and reclaims the sentiment and feeling which are so often lost in purely academic approaches. With the use of illustrations, he depicts the archaeologist as a skilled interpreter of cultural remains. The author debates heritage and cultural identity and considers the key concerns of archaeology in the 1990s, weighing up controversial topics such as scientific objectivity and the validity of different claims to the past. The aim of Experiencing the Past is not so much to instruct as to provoke thought and reflection on feeling about the past. This book should be of interest to students and teachers of archaeology at all levels.