Secret. Hidden. These are words that immediately attract the seeker after knowledge. There are perhaps two normal reactions to the world one lives in: one sees life as being primarily on the surface – what you see is what you have. For the other, however, reality is more like an iceberg, with the larger, more important (and perhaps more exciting) parts down below. To a degree, of course, this view undergirds all religions, and certainly provides the motive force for aficionados of esoterica.

Ancient mysteries – are there any other mysteries more tantalising? To look back on the past and see it come to life, to be transported beyond the mundane everyday reality and imagine how things once were, or how they appeared to be. Perhaps most importantly, to be involved in the mystery, to add your own clues and maybe even solve the riddle that thousands have not.