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Staff writer reviews "Time Great Discoveries: Explorations That Changed History"

Staff writer reviews "Time Great Discoveries: Explorations That Changed History"

Date published: 11/20/2009

By Cathy Jett

THE PAST never stays still. From deep within the ground at Jamestown to far-flung planets in outer space, scientists are always coming up with new information that changes our perceptions of long-held ideas.

Now the editors of Time magazine have sought out the latest, most exciting discoveries in archaeology, astronomy, geography and paleontology to create " Great Discoveries: Explorations That Changed History."

The lavishly illustrated coffee-table book begins with Zahi Hawass, Egypt's own Indiana Jones, who is hot on the trail of Cleopatra's and Marc Antony's final resting place, and ends with the Kepler Telescope, which blasted into space in March on a mission to discover Earth-like planets orbiting sun-like stars.

Of special interest locally are the segments about William Kelso's discovery of the original fort at Jamestown, which had long been thought to have washed away, and a Chinese professor's theory that the terra cotta statues buried with China's first emperor, some of which will be on display at National Geographic Museum beginning Nov. 19, depict imperial court officials and servants, not warriors.

--Cathy Jett, business reporter

GREAT DISCOVERIES: EXPLORATIONS THAT CHANGED HISTORY Edited by Kelly Knauer (Time Books, $29.95)

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Date published: 11/20/2009