Tracing the Growth of Black Holes in the Distant Universe

Deep X-ray surveys with Chandra and XMM-Newton have revolutionised our
view of the growth of distant black holes by revealing Active Galactic
Nuclei (AGN) out to high redshifts; the deepest X-ray surveys are
sensitive to the identification of typical AGN out to z~4, almost
irrespective of the presence of heavy obscuration. I will review our
current understanding of the growth of distant black holes from the
deepest Chandra surveys, including recent results from the 4 Ms
Chandra Deep Field South observations. I will also discuss our
searches for the most heavily obscured AGNs, explore the connections
between star formation and AGN activity, invesigate the role of
environment in the growth of black holes, and look towards how new
facilites will improve our understanding of the growth of distant
black holes.