Excavation

Excavation

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3.94 of 5 stars 3.94  ·  rating details  ·  6,680 ratings  ·  293 reviews
High in the Andes, Dr. Henry Conklin discovers a 500-year-old mummy that should not be there. While deep in the South American jungle, Conklin's nephew, Sam, stumbles upon a remarkable site nestled between two towering peaks, a place hidden from human eyes for thousands of years.

Ingenious traps have been laid to ensnare the careless and unsuspecting, and wealth beyond imag...more
Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages
Published March 1st 2007 by Harper (first published January 1st 2000)
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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)
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I, Curmudgeon
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Parvathy
Nov 14, 2011 Parvathy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Indiana Jones fans, ancient mysteries
Recommended to Parvathy by: Yona
This is the first James Rollins book I have read and I can safely say that after this venture there are going to be more James Rollins books in my future. Never before had I experimented with a book like this which felt like watching a full length Indiana Jones movie. Kingdom of skulls was the first Indiana Jones movie I have watched and this book does go around a similar setting. The book opens with a Dominican priest almost 500 years in the past on the run form a group of Inca warriors and his...more
Brooke
James Rollins has really been filling that archaeological-action-adventure-thriller niche in my library. Although it could be ridiculously melodramatic in places, Excavation was even better than his first book, Subterranean. It spent less time setting things up and practically plunged right into the action and mystery right away. It also rolled along at a brisker pace - I didn't have the need to skim like I did with Subterranean.

Rollins is a fun author; his books aren't high literature, but the...more
Neha
Excavation was a fun book. It dives right into the action very quickly, which I love in a book. I'm an action fan. The enviornments were very easy to picture in my mind. I enjoyed that it took place in a jungle type of setting. I haven't read very many books that have such an atmosphere.

I blew threw this book in just a couple of days because it really was a page-turner. The suspense was nice without being overly hyped up. The pace was quick but also quite smooth. It didn't seem to get ahead of...more
Tony
James Rollins- Excavation 3.75 Stars

Excavating an archaeological site in the Andes, Dr. Henry Conklin and his group of students unearth an old mummy who was an old friar. The students are exploring the site and come across an underground passage filled with deadly traps. This site is filled with a vast richness, far beyond the important historical knowledge. All of this may appear wonderful on the outside, but inside, they may be unearthing something far more dangerous than they ever thought pos...more
Christopher Fulbright
I love a good adventure novel, and James Rollins is on the cutting edge of the modern action thriller that pits man/woman against some strange discovery and throws them into seemingly unwinnable situations, only to see them (most of them at least) come out the other side on the basis of wit and skill alone. "Excavation" is the type of novel I can't turn down -- jungle adventure, ruins exploration, and intrigue. Yes, I know a million-and-one people think "Indiana Jones" any time you mention such...more
Jeremy
Jun 13, 2012 Jeremy marked it as to-read

High in the Andes, Dr. Henry Conklin discovers a 500-year-old mummy that should not be there. While deep in the South American jungle, Conklin's nephew, Sam, stumbles upon a remarkable site nestled between two towering peaks, a place hidden from human eyes for thousands of years.

Ingenious traps have been laid to ensnare the careless and unsuspecting, and wealth beyond imagining could be the reward for those with the courage to face the terrible unknown. But where the perilous journey inward en

...more
Derek Dowell
If you like glue-your-eyes-to-the-page adventure stories, Excavation, a James Rollins rip-roaring tale of Incas, archaeologists, and modern Spanish Inquisitors, should be right up your alley. Unfortunately, this Cussleresque steamroller of a plot suffers from an also Cussleresque gallery of characters with all the depth of cardboard cutouts, speaking a universal brand of bland dialogue perhaps best described as television news anchorese. Yes, we do get a bit of diversity when Irish student Maggi...more
Novità Narrativa Biblioteca di Concesio
Il professor Henry Conklin ha atteso questo momento per tutta la vita. Nel corso di alcuni scavi archeologici sulle Ande peruviane, ha portato alla luce una mummia perfettamente conservata, che potrebbe finalmente confermare la sua rivoluzionaria teoria: l'esistenza di un'avanzata civiltà indigena precedente agli inca. Dopo aver lasciato la direzione dei lavori al nipote Sam, Conklin torna subito negli Stati Uniti per effettuare le analisi di laboratorio, che tuttavia danno risultati sorprendent...more
David
I normally quite like James Rollins' novels, but this one? Not so much.

Although it is in his usual pseudo sci-fi style of writing which I have no problem with, I don't know whether the reason I wasn't really that sold on this one is due to the rather ridiculous (even for him) plot devices used, that fact that it's not one of his Sigma Force novels (best described as scientists with guns) and so lacks that over-reaching plot strands that connects all those novels, or (more likely) that he seems t...more
Ernie Jr.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Rubina
Jan 30, 2008 Rubina rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all readers who are into puzzles from long past!!
Recommended to Rubina by: Sheer luck!! Browsing in the book shop
After "The De Vinci Code" - this was one book that I really could not put down - I was actually running with the characters!!! By the last chapter I "was feeling" a little let down - for it was sounding so unreal - BUT by the time I was reading the last three pages - I was completely floored for it really made sense to me - one of the best reads in a long long time!!!

I love James Rollins and I am going to make sure I have all his books!!! :D
Neeke
Exotic Location: Check
Incan tomb: Check
Boobytraps: check
Huge treasure + golden idol: check
Creapy crawlers: check
Hat always on main character's head: check
workers turning against archaeologists: check
evil organisation: check
Short Round (cleverly disguised as Denal): check
Mystical powers: check
Objects get destroyed/lost: check
Indiana Jones: chec... ...wait... Indiana isn't involved?!?

This book obviously shares *some* similarities with the Indiana Jones stories. Not necessarily a bad thing, because...more
Kimberly
I'm a bit late to the whole James Rollins party it seems but it's better to be late than never! Before I borrowed Excavation from the library I had been wanting to give his books a try for ages but I didn't know where to start. Then I found this one when I did a library search and it looked like a good place to start.

As you probably already know I am a huge history buff so the fact that this book dealt with the history and myths surround the Incan people I was all for it. Especially since this b...more
Debra Chapoton
Excavation is another great, fast-paced adventure by James Rollins. I only gave it three stars because throughout the story there is subtle and sometimes not so subtle jabbing at belief in God. He also uses the precious name of my savior repeatedly as a curse word. He's going to regret that forever.
The story is full of Inca history and modern research, wrapping together a theme of fantastic archeological discovery in an Indiana Jones setting with danger, escape and nanotechnology. Whew! What an...more
Brian Steele
I'm beginning to love James Rollins. He merges the Adventure antics of Clive Cussler (minus the bromance) and the contemporary Sci-Fi Horror found in the best novels by Michael Crichton. I loved his book Subterranean and I enjoyed this book even more. Don't get me wrong - you have to suspend belief a good deal and roll with the popcorn, but it's just a fun and exciting tale. I've been eying Deep Fathom and after this, I'm definitely going to check it out.

While a bit more epic in scope, I believe...more
Riju Ganguly
James Rollins is one author whose laundry list might also become a best-seller (if he pursues it), and the reasons were pretty obvious to readers like us who had read him when he were only marking his presence. This novel was a "winner" right from the first page, and when it finally concluded (with sufficient hints that may be elongated into a sequel at a later phase) like many other readers I had also realised that I had been holding my breath for some time. It is a very good read (Rollins' usu...more
Ashish
"Excavation" was my very first James Rollins read. The way he describes the merger of archeology and religious faith really got me interested in his style of writing. I must say that his treatment of the sensitivities of merging scientific thought with religious faith is excellent. His plots and sub-plots are extremely well woven together and he paces the book well. His characters are well thought out and rarely contradict their established behavioral patterns. All of this is based on some excel...more
Rick
I was a bit disappointed with this. The plot and characters were largely unbelievable and even suspending belief proved extremely difficult at times. The references to knowing how to handle a gun because you are from Belfast were, I'm sure, offensive to pretty much anyone from Northern Ireland and the discovery of a specific property of the mysterious substance at the end of the book just did not ring true, surely it would have been one of the first things to have been discovered with all the at...more
A.R. Voss
Fastest reading of a five hundred page book I had the pleasure of enjoying for a long time. Great subject matter, story telling and twist and turns with interesting plot and sub-plots. There are certain books at times that you love to read and because they are so enjoyable you tend to read them fast, however, you hate for them to finish. This books was one of those for me. Of course every book will have flaws but the bulk of it was brilliant. I definitely recommend this book, especially to thos...more
Victoria
This book was simply tons of fun to read! It was an exciting, fast-paced thriller with an absolutely fascinating plot and filled with not only unpredictable plot twists, but also some very sympathetic characters. It would make a perfect addition to a trip to the beach, or any sort of vacation at all - even a stay-cation could be made more thrilling while curled up with this tough-to-put-down novel!

Rollins took some fantastic elements and incorporated them quite realistically into this thriller....more
✿ Deni
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Pam (E.P. Scott)
James Rollins combines truth, fiction, technology and archeology and comes up with another exciting and engaging story of ancient Incan tribes, creepy creatures and a substance that is out of this world.

The Short: Henry and his nephew Sam are on an archeological dig site in Peru and they have made a discovery. Henry leaves Sam in charge and heads back to the States with an ancient mummy with the hopes he can prove a theory of his. An old flame, Joan, re-enters his life to help him with the myste...more
K. Jackson
Goodreads advises:

High in the Andes, Dr. Henry Conklin discovers a 500-year-old mummy that should not be there. While deep in the South American jungle, Conklin's nephew, Sam, stumbles upon a remarkable site nestled between two towering peaks, a place hidden from human eyes for thousands of years. Ingenious traps have been laid to ensnare the careless and unsuspecting, and wealth beyond imagining could be the reward for those with the courage to face the terrible unknown. But where the perilous...more
Nancy Oakes
If you like adventure stories with a few supernatural/outer-spacey elements thrown in, you're really going to like this book. When I started the book, for some reason the theme to Indiana Jones started floating in my head.

A group of archaeologists are excavating a newly-found site in Peru under the guidance of their mentor, Dr. Henry Conklin. Conklin is not at the site, but back in the US where he is overseeing the delivery and analyses of a mummy from Peru which he hopes will bolster his claim...more
Rik
A bit of an Indiana Jones type of adventure/ thriller, along with ancient booby traps and lots of spiders. Ignoring my scepticism regarding the likely hood of the traps still working after 400 years, and whether anyone really could make anything so complex, this was a fast paced enjoyable thriller. Just enough detail to make you either like or despise the characters, and, for me, a good plot. I'm not sure about the ending; I liked it initially, but the more I think about it the less happy with i...more
David
This is my first James Rollins read, and if it is representative of his other stuff, it will be my last; I kept at it, thinking it couldn't get any worse...but it did. Imagine a rejected screenplay for an Indiana Jones wannabe movie, and you've got this dreadful book.

There are caves full of tarantulas, bats, and flesh-eating zombies, all marshalled against the most cliched cast of characters you'll ever encounter. Excavation should come with a "reader beware" disclaimer on the jacket.
Ryan
This was my introduction to James Rollins. I wanted to read the Sigma Force novels I keep hearing so much about and picked this up at a used book store mistakenly thinking it was part of that series. But Rollins has captured my interest and I will continue reading his novels! Equal parts Cussler, Crichton, and Preston/Child, the action and plotting of this novel was good. Characters were a bit too one-dimensional and the ending did not quite reach the heights I was expecting from the fast-paced...more
Sarah Walker
This is my husband' absolute favorite author. I had tried to read a different book by James Rollins and had to put it down, there were too many characters to keep up with. Apparently that is his writing style. I was able to get used to it in this book, and enjoyed the storyline. He paints very vivid pictures, I could see every scene happening in my head. If they turned this into a movie, it would be a blockbuster. Everyone loves an adventure story, and this one was a great one.
Bandit
I thought I'd give an adventure genre a go. I love adventure movies and throughout this whole book I kept thinking how much better and more entertaining it would have been as a movie. In fact it is written IMO. There is tons of action and enough cardboard characters for a prop store. Seriously, a Texan who never (we are reminded of this constantly ) parts with his Stetson hat, a homophobic jock, a smart alec gay guy, a professor so noble it borders on the absurd (view spoiler)[in what world do y...more
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Excavation (Paperback)
Excavation (Mass Market Paperback)
Excavation (Hardcover)
Excavation (Paperback)
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James Rollins is the New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers, translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the "top crowd pleasers" (New York Times) and one of the "hottest summer reads" (People Magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets--and h

...more
More about James Rollins...
Map of Bones: A Sigma Force Novel The Last Oracle: A Sigma Force Novel Sandstorm Black Order: A Sigma Force Novel The Judas Strain: A Sigma Force Novel

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