Every culture since prehistory has believed in an eternal life beyond the grave. The supreme expressions of artistic and architectural creativity of the greatest human civilizations are the ‘dwellings of eternity’ that were built to cross the oceans of time and to hold the mortal remains of the deceased, often accompanied by priceless treasures, in eternal repose. For the first time, this book brings together and describes in simple but accurate terms these superb creations of human civilization and universal art around the world, illustrating the thrilling and adventurous stories of their discovery with new, often unpublished documents. The great megalithic monuments of Brittany and Ireland, the Etruscan necropolises, the Treasury of Agamemnon, the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the tomb of Tutankhamun, the terracotta army of the Qin Dynasty, and the tomb of the Lord of Sipan: this extraordinary book visits every corner of the earth in its journey into the cities of death, and in search of the understanding of life among lost civilizations and their relationship with the afterlife.

Alberto Siliotti is a scientific journalist who specializes in Egyptology. He has spent many years studying and researching, taking part in archaeological trips, organizing exhibitions and publishing scholarly and general articles. He is a member of the Egypt Exploration Society and coordinator of the Thebes Project, the digital catalog of paintings in the Theban tombs.