Archeology Must Be Approached Systematically and Scientifica

The study of archeology, specifically Egyptology, is a primary theme in the book, Crocodile on the Sandbank. The protagonist, Amelia Peabody, has some knowledge of the science, unusual for a woman in Victorian England, but she does not completely understand why it must be approached with such methodical organization. Once she meets Radcliffe Emerson, who has no trouble giving her a piece of his mind about the value of the artifacts that excavators find, she understands more about preservation of artifacts. Emerson has very strong opinions on the sanctity of a burial site and loathes grave robbers and those who intend to make a profit with the sale of relics and artifacts so stolen. Peters creates Radcliffe Emerson in the shoes of true-life William Flinders Petrie, who has been named the father of scientific archeology. Like Petrie, Emerson demands that every site...