A prominent archaeologist uses the latest scientific techniques to interpret the spiritual lives of ancient people.. From Black Land to Fifth Sun is an engrossing look at a dramatic new generation of archaeological discoveriesmade possible by cutting-edge sciencethat are transforming our understanding of the inner lives of ancient people everywhere. }Until recently, archaeology was concerned mainly with piecing together the material lives of our ancestors. In this groundbreaking book, master storyteller and respected archaeologist Brian Fagan explains how cutting-edge science can now take us beyond the artifactsinto the mystical realm of shamans and spirit mediums, ancestor worship, and ritual sacrifice. From the Niles black land to the Aztecs world of the Fifth Sun, from Stonehenge to Jericho, Fagan describes how Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Geographic Information Systems, Computer Automated Design-mapping and other sophisticated scientific methods are helping us to decode the religious and spiritual beliefs of our forebears. This new archaeology of the mind blends a wealth of scientific disciplinesfrom botany, zoology, and geology to neuropsychology, palynology, and nuclear physics. With vivid imagery and a transporting voice, Fagan revolutionizes our understanding of the inner lives of ancient people. }