About the book: 1958 / At the beginning of the 18th century, a huge elephant tooth was found on the banks of the Don. Where did he come from? Ancient Greek writers and historians report that in the lands of the Scythians on the tops of the mountains lived “gold-guarding vultures,” mysterious half-birds, half-people. What is this? Just a fairy tale? And if not, what were they like, these ancient inhabitants of the mountains? On the rocks, on the site of the future Bratsk Sea, very original drawings made thousands and thousands of years ago have recently been discovered. And one of them is very similar to the topographic map of the Angara. What if this is true? So, there were geographers during the Neolithic? How many questions, mysteries, and cases face archaeologists—people who study the hidden traces of a long-gone life! How many surprises their difficult, sometimes painstaking work brings, helping to correctly illuminate the history of all peoples and times! Writers L.V. Uspensky and K.N. Schneider, passionate about wonderful science, vividly and vividly spoke on the pages of their book about a number of interesting archaeological discoveries, the results of which they saw with their own eyes. Much space in the book is devoted to showing the unique world of archaeological expeditions, work “in the field”, methods of restoration, preservation, processing and analysis of the collected material, that is, that aspect of the activities of scientists that remains hidden from the inquisitive gaze when visiting archaeological museums.