Civilizations Of The Ancient World

that hold a particular fascination for modern readers, alongside a broader, contextual panorama of the global cultures that shaped the ancient world. The book has over 1,000 colour and black-and-white illustrations." --Book Jacket.

Publisher description

Encyclopedia of the Ancient World is a colorful and lively examination of some of the most important civilizations that have shaped our world. Each entry concentrates on a particular civilization, or series of civilizations, and combines its history with an explanation of who the people were and how they lived. An examination of respective belief systems and myths is also included. Reflecting the latest developments in archaeology and bio-geography, LEncyclopedia of the Ancient World explains how the ancient civilizations developed, and how they came to dominate their neighbors, how they evolved, and why they eventually declined or died out. Encyclopedia of the Ancient World also features 400 full-color and black-and-white photographs, as well as specially commissioned diagrams and reconstructions, that help to illuminate life as it was lived many centuries ago. The book concludes with an extensive time-line that places the civilizations in an historic context; a bibliography of suggested further reading; a glossary of useful terms; and a comprehensive index.

The great civilizations of the distant past never cease to impress us with their spectacular achievements. Ideas, writings, and works of art speak to us across tracts of time with an amazing freshness of imagination and workmanship. This book presents a vivid, multi-faceted portrait of these achievements, set within their historical context and embracing a global coverage, which includes ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, China and Pre-Columbian America. The Ancient World is the most accessible guide yet produced to the spiritual, cultural, technological, and artistic innovation that was a hallmark of these complex and fascinating societies. Organized chronologically, the text places special emphasis on the evidence still remaining. Detailed coverage is given to symbols, sacred texts, religious ceremonies, gods and goddesses, visions of the cosmos, and sacred sites - from the temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings to the sweeping majesty of the Great Wall of China. Sample entries include: Sumer and Akkad - the first civilizations along the Indus Valley of Mesopotamia; Egypt - from the pre-dynastic 'Scorpion King' to the Old Kingdom Pyramid Age to the glories of the New Kingdom; Minoan/Mycenean civilization - the first city states; the legend of Atlantis; Roman Republic - rise of Rome; wars with Carthage; golden age of the Republic; Parthian Empire - the Hellenistic counterweight to Roman expansion in the East; Qin Dynasty - unification of China and beginning of Imperial China; Mahajanapadas - the 'Great Kingdoms' of India; Inca Empire, Machu Picchu, El Dorado.

In this concise, yet sweeping look at the origins and development of ancient new world civiliozations, Richard adams provides a superb introductory overview of these unique and fascinating cultures. Incorporating the latest breakthroughs in the study of the cultures of Mesoamerica and the Andes, Adams examines the development of the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and Inca peoples, among others, from simple agricultural societies to urban civilizations with complex transportation networks, distinct social hierarchies, rich artistic and religious traditions, and writing systems that have defied anthropological investigation until recently.

Book will discuss the five great civilizations of ancient world.

Why did the Greeks excel in geometry, but lag begin the Mesopotamians in arithmetic? How were the great pyramids of Egypt and the Han tombs in China constructed? What did the complex system of canals and dykes in the Tigris and Euphrates river valley have to do with the deforestation of Lebanon's famed cedar forests? This work presents a cross-cultural comparison of the ways in which the ancients learned about and preserved their knowledge of the natural world, and the ways in which they developed technologies that enabled them to adapt to and shape their surroundings. Covering the major ancient civilizations - those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, the Indus Valley, and Meso-America - Olson explores how language and numbering systems influenced the social structure, how seemingly beneficial construction projects affected a civilization's rise or decline, how religion and magic shaped both medicine and agriculture, and how trade and the resulting cultural interactions transformed the making of both everyday household items and items intended as art. Along the way, Olson delves into how scientific knowledge and its technological applications changed the daily lives of the ancients.