T here are many books about the archaeology of Greece that pro-
vide historical and literary background information, along with
detailed descriptions of archaeological sites and museums accompa-
nied by plans and illustrations of artifacts. Some are written for the
student or general reader; others are aimed at travelers and supply
information on restaurants, hotels, and local customs. As contempo-
rary readers have developed more specialized tastes and interests, new
books have addressed these trends. Many readers go to Greece only in
their dreams, and they read books on archaeology and travel in order
to satisfy their curiosity; others prefer to do their reading after they
have visited the country in order to gain additional insights or refresh
their memories. And others, perhaps the majority, wish a book to
serve as a useful companion in their travels, one that will be on hand
to answer questions that arise during visits to archaeological sites and
museums. Perhaps ambitiously, we hope to satisfy all of these readers
with this book. It is intended as a guide and a companion for all visi-
tors, whether they travel to Greece on an airplane or a ship, in a class-
room, or in a favorite reading chair.

In reviewing the books on Greek archaeology written over the
past 25 years we found that most of them concentrate on the classical
Greco-Roman past, and to a lesser extent on Byzantine Greece. Far
fewer attempt to interest readers in the long, rich, prehistoric past of
Greece, a country with one of the oldest archaeological records of all
the European nations.

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