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From School Library JournalGrade 5-8–This book is more a study of the archaeological process than simply a history of this ancient city in what is now Mozambique. The text explores how racism wrote and rewrote history to suit the ruling race's views. For the simple fact that many did not want to recognize that blacks could have built and inhabited a sizable, accomplished trading center so long ago, many mythical theories were developed to explain it. These theories attributed the civilization to ancient Egyptians, shipwrecked Vikings, even to the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. It wasn't until 1929 that it was decidedly proven that it could be attributed to Africans. The text then explores the process of radiocarbon dating and the manner in which artifacts are examined. Well-captioned full-color or black-and-white photos appear throughout. This text would be useful in units on African history or for examining the role of the archaeologist, as individual chapters are interesting enough to read aloud.–Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KSCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistGr. 7-10. Archaeologist Hall and writer Stefoff coauthor this solid, well-written introduction to the ancient East African civilization named in the title. As in all books in the Digging for the Past series, the archaeological history is the focus, and the book begins with a time line of major discoveries and maps of the site and region. Opening sections discuss European exploration of the area and the racism that fueled early misperceptions of Great Zimbabwe's history. Later chapters delve further into competing theories about the civilization, incorporating information about archaeological techniques such as radiocarbon dating and artifact placement. The well-designed pages present a mix of archival and current-day images, including a few photos of scientists at work. A final interview between the authors summarizes some previously covered points, and back matter includes Web sites and short descriptions of other archaeological points of interest in Zimbabwe and East Africa. An excellent resource for young researchers, this also offers teachers a fascinating opportunity for discussing bias and the role of racial prejudice in history making. Other recent series releases introduce the sites of Tenochtitlan (the ruins under Mexico City) and Alexandria, Virginia. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedReview"Solid, well-written introduction to the ancient East African civilization named in the title.... An excellent resource for young researchers."--BooklistAbout the AuthorMartin Hall is a Professor of Archaeology at University of Cape Town.