The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt

Author: Claudia Logan; Pictures by Melissa Sweet

Search for the secrets of a hidden tomb

It is 1924, two years after the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Readers are invited to join a young boy, Will Hunt, as he and his family become part of an archaeological team led by world-famous Egyptologist Dr. George Reisner. Based on actual records of Reisner's history-making dig, Giza 7000X, this strikingly original picture book uses journal entries, funny postcards, and quirky cartoons to pull readers into an ancient unsolved mystery. Luminous paintings of the pyramids, informative sidebars and inventive collages, including authentic documents and archival photographs, help provide information and clues. When a secret tomb is uncovered, readers, along with Will, put together clues to discover: Whose tomb is this? Why was it hidden? And how can a mummy be missing from a sealed tomb?

This illuminating book invites readers to participate in the process of archaeology as it provides a rare glimpse into the true stories that exist behind the objects in museums.

The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle is a 2003 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

In the News

“Gripping and entertaining . . . The author . . . explains everything from mumification to the tools of an archeologist's trade to ancient grave robbing. The artist's own paintings . . . share space with such archival materials as period photographs, object register notations and more.” —Starred, Publishers Weekly