Archaeology has benefitted from the interest and support of people beyond academia. New discoveries are eagerly written about in the mainstream and specialist media. In that respect it has a unique advantage: every human and every event can leave a trace in the archaeological record, be it a broken pot, a rusty sword, a jar of pollen; all can be treasures to be investigated and interpreted; and usually they are inspirational and engrossing, even, sometimes, astonishing.