About the author

John Romer graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1966 and began his work in Middle Eastern Archaeology shortly thereafter. He served on American and German expeditions in Egyptian Thebes, acting as Field Director of The Brooklyn Museum Theban Expedition. He conducted the first physical survey and conservation studies of the Valley of the Kings, excavating the tomb of Ramesses XI.

Working as an archaeologist in Egypt over four decades, Romer is noted for his fieldwork in the Valley of the Kings. He has also dedicated a great part of his time to archaeological conservation and, as an aid to raising public awareness of the importance and fragility of the past, has made many TV and radio documentaries, to international critical acclaim. Besides numerous specialist articles and reports, his books have included Valley of the Kings, Ancient Lives: The Story of the Pharaohs' Tombmakers, Testament: The Bible and History; and The Seven Wonders of the World (with Elizabeth Romer), all of which have become popular bestsellers. He and his wife live and work around the Mediterranean and the Middle East and share a house in Tuscany.