The Middle East: The Cradle of Civilization

The Middle East: The Cradle of Civilization synthesizes the latest research and information from a range of disciplines to tell the compelling story, from the Neolithic period through to the Arab conquest, of how a group of linguistically disparate, nomadic tribes responded to specific social, economic and environmental factors to form the world’s first complex societies.

This is an authoritative, detailed and accessible story, divided into six easily navigable parts arranged chronologically, and then into chapters exploring the history, religion, political and social organization, art, science and architecture of the peoples of the region. The text is illustrated with more than 500 superb full colour images – artifacts, artworks, statues, reliefs, buildings and landscapes – as well as six detailed maps, which bring the region’s dramatic past vividly to life.

Table of Contents

Introduction the Middle East • The Fertile Crescent: Birthplace of Agriculture • Mesopotamia: The Cradle of Civilization • Power Struggles: Kingdoms at War • Masters of the Known World: The Age of Empires • Under Occupation: Hellenistic and Roman Conquerors • Search for Origins: The Rediscovery of the Middle East