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This book offers a fascinating look at Mesopotamia and what its artefacts tell us. Each chapter answers a question about the period, such as 'who were the Mesopotamians?', 'how did the Mesopotamians communicate?' 'what was life like in for the Mesopotamians?' and 'what did the Mesopotamians contribute to the world?'. Panels titled 'what does it tell us?' explore archaeological sites, artefacts and texts, and explain how historians have used these to piece together what life was like in the past. With fascinating colour photographs, a glossary, index, and further information section, this book provides a valuable insight into Mesopotamia. ... Read more

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The great pyramids of Giza, Tutankhamun, the Great Sphinx, Cleopatra, and Ramesses II: the names and achievements of Ancient Egypt are legendary. Situated along the Nile River, the Ancient Egyptian civilization began around 3150 BC and lasted over three millennia until it was conquered by Rome in 31 BC.The A to Z of Ancient Egypt presents a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on Egyptian rulers, bureaucrats, and commoners whose records have survived, as well as ancient society, religion, and gods. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Science News, published by Science Service, Inc. on July 18, 2009. The length of the article is 341 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Hunter-gatherers stored wild crops: granaries in the Middle East predated plant domestication.(Humans)
Author: Bruce Bower
Publication: Science News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 18, 2009
Publisher: Science Service, Inc.
Volume: 176Issue: 2Page: 13(1)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

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Gives glimpses of some of the most characteristic features of the countries and peoples inancient times in the Near East: the early herders; those living in the two great river valleys-the Nile and the Tigro-Euphrates; and the Jews and Phoenicians living between these two valleys. Emphasizes the ideas each culture contributed to the general historical stream.Volume 1 in the 7-volume Streams of History series, which presents a vivid picture of the growth of Western Civilization from the early source of the historic stream back in the Nile, the Tigro-Euphrates and the Indus valleys, and then its widening and deepening as it moves westward. The series highlights the contributions of each culture to the stream of history and shows how its contributions are caught up and carried on to future peoples and nations. The student is led to see how each grows out of that which precedes, and shadows forth what follows, and that the discovery of America, and its subsequent institutional development was the fruitage of a seed which lay deep in the historic soul of Europe. Suitable for ages 8 and up. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Outdated and racist
Oh, dear. I had good hopes for this text, but...

I am not some politically correct fascist. I wouldn't criticize a writer, say, for being sexist when it was his or her times that were sexist, for example.

OTOH, statements like the Indians were too lazy and childlike to learn from the White people and develop a written language are both flat out wrong and so extremely prejudiced that the book is a waste. It is also innocent of archaeological and historical research of its own times, much less ours.

Actually, it would be an excellent text for a family of NeoNazis or one whose Daddy had joined the Aryan Brotherhood. ... Read more

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The Babylonians are known for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, but did you also know that the Babylonians studied the stars to predict the future? They also used reeds as drinking straws, and the city of Babylon was one of the world's first cities. Find out more about what life was like in ancient Babylon, which is located in modern-day Iraq. In this book, you'll learn about people's daily activities, religion, buildings, inventions, and leaders. Photographs and vivid comic-style illustrations help bring this culture to life! ... Read more

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Explores the succession of interrelated changes that lead to civilization and draws conclusions about the dynamics of social change and the processes of social evolution applying those concepts to the rise of Greece and Rome. This book should be of interest to advanced students and lecturers of anthropology, archaeology, ancient and social history. ... Read more

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In The Near East, Charles Maisels charts the emergence of archaeology from antiquarianism and anthropology in the 19th century. Based on current knowledge, the book provides a developmental account of the origins of farming cultures and the processes of transition from neolithic village to city-state. Maisels discusses the discovery of Ur, Babylon and a host of lesser city-states in Mesopotamia. He traces the process of their ``remystification'' by early archaeologists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

LOTS OF PISTACHIOS
The book is a bit incoherent, since it jumps around eras. But it gives a lot of interesting detail. It was good to learn one good feature on Neolithic living, lots of pistachios. ... Read more

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This book is the first published English-language translation of the significant History of Islamic Spain by Ibn al-Qutiya (d. Cordova 367 / 977). Including extensive notes and comments, a genealogical table and relevant maps, the text is preceded by a study of the author and his work, and is the only serious examination of the unique manuscript since Pascual de Gayangos’ edition in 1868.

Ibn al-Qutiya’s work is one of the significant and earliest histories of Muslim Spain and an important source for scholars. Although like most Muslims of al-Andalus in this period, Ibn al-Qutiya was of European origin, he was a loyal servant of the Iberian Umayyads, and taught Arabic, traditions (hadith) and history in the Great Mosque of Cordova. Written at the height of the Umayyad Caliphate of Muslim Spain and Portugal (al-Andalus), the History describes the first 250 years of Muslim rule in the peninsula. The text, first fully translated into Spanish in 1926, deals with all aspects of life, and includes accounts of Christians, Jews and Muslim converts.

This book will be of great interest to scholars and students of the history of Spain and Portugal, Islamic history, and Mediaeval European history.

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Amazing Discoveries in Bible Lands ... Read more

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This book assesses the impact of writing on human societies, both in the Ancient Near East and in contemporary Africa, and highlights some general features of social systems that have been influenced by this major change in the mode of communication. Such features are central to any attempt at the theoretical definition of human society and such constituent phenomena as religious and legal systems, and in this study Professor Goody explores the role of a specific mechanism, the introduction of writing and the development of a written tradition, in the explanation of some important social differences and similarities. Goody argues that a shift of emphasis from productive to certain communicative processes is essential to account adequately for major changes in human societies. Whilst there have been previous descussions of the effect of literacy upon social organisation, no study has hitherto presented the general synthesis developed here. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

On graphicentered social interactions
What is the difference between a religion based on written text and one based merely on oral tradition?

According to Professor Goody, the short answer seems to be:a lot.

For one thing, with no canon, the parameters of sacred and profane fall more clearly to the shaman.For another: "conversion" is a more tricky process.

This is one of those niche books that answers the type of archane question you may encounter in an academic discussion or study group.However, if you really think about it, as evidenced by Goody's discussion, his findings also have applications in economics, government and law.

After long study in Africa, Goody had a wealth information to use to compare non graphicentered societies with those organizing themselves around written records.In this book, you'll see evidence Goody has collected from modern societies as well as from ancient ones such as Pharonic Egypt.

You'll learn just as a lack of written record has its limitations in the religious sphere, it also operates to effectively limit the size of how big a government or business can be.And it also surrenders law to the whim and caprice of the judge.

In this way, this book is a great introduction to the impact of literacy on the organization of society, a field that, as Goody himself would concede, still merits further research and study. ... Read more

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Thirty research papers by an international group of archaeologists redefine the cultural development of Northern Mesopotamia in the first half of the third millennium B.C. The papers reflect the latest understandings of society, economy and chronology, derived from excavations and survey in both Syria and Iraq, that lead to the "second urban revolution." Originally prepared for a Yale University conference in December 1988, these widely distributed and cited papers are now published in their revised texts, with figures and photographs, in a volume fundamental for West Asian archaeology. ... Read more

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INTRODUCING ANCIENT EGYPT: PYRAMIDS,CHANGE AND CONTINUITY,WARRIORS,OCCUPATION,REDISCOVERY OF ANCIENT EGYPT, IN BEAUTIFUL COLOR, A BONUS CD ROM FOR THIS EDITION ONLY: A GREAT STUDENT RESOURCE, WRITE LIKE AN EGYPTIAN ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Treasure Trove
I bought this on a whim at the bookstore because it was on sale, and I needed an art reference book for ancient Egypt. I thought I would just use it for the pictures, but I have spent the last 3 days reading it into the wee hours. Despite its massive size, I find it hard to put down. It covers not just the famous pharaohs, but the history of Egypt and human culture there in earlier times, the Christian era, and early and modern archeology. Check out the story of what happened to the mummy of Rameses I! The included CD-ROM seems mostly to duplicate what's in the book, but may be fun for kids to use. It appears this book was published in Australia, so it has a somewhat European flavor (this is a good thing). Overall, this is a great collection of beautiful images and interesting, readable history. ... Read more