A pioneering Egyptologist, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. In 1880 he began the first ever systematic survey of the Giza Plateau, with perhaps his most important work being on the Great Pyramid. Theories abounded as to how the Great Pyramid had been constructed, yet few were based on close examination of the structure itself. Petrie's findings, still used as a reference today, enabled him to disprove prominent theories, such as the belief of Charles Piazzi Smyth that the Great Pyramid was a product of divine revelation and therefore flawless. This first edition of 1883 was not reprinted, and subsequent editions summarised some of the material. Petrie wrote prolifically throughout his long career, and many of his other publications are also reissued in this series.