The Atlas of the Ancient World : Charting the Great Civilizations of the Past

London: Ebury Press. Very Good/Very Good. 1992. First Edition. Hard Cover. Lge 4to 0091770408 Due to weight this book will only be supplied to a UK address. No extra postage charge will be asked for. Dust jacket complete, unclipped, small tear. Cloth covered boards with bright gilt titling on spine. Numerous Colour & b/w Illustrations / Photographs. 220 pages clean and tight. For millions of people every year, ancient monuments and museums of antiquity all around the world present a voyage of discovery to lost lands and brilliant civilizations. The majesty of the pyramids at Giza, the mysteries of Mesopotamian writing, the enigma of Stonehenge and the gracefulness of the Acropolis all evoke feelings of wonder. But the fascination with the past is also due to the search for roots - for the present is founded on the past, and to the past it must return to gain a true understanding of its culture. The Atlas of the Ancient World brings a fresh approach to the great civilizations of long ago. Ancient historian and lecturer Margaret Oliphant surveys nine great cultures, from Mesopotamia to America, and China to Europe. A wide range of maps and a wealth of photographs and artworks bring alive such wonders as the temple-pyramids of the Maya, the Great Wall of China and Rome's Colosseum. There are informative and accessible accounts of the rise and fall of empires, the rulers who governed them and the adventurers and archaeologists who later rediscovered their treasures. Features on a variety of topics, including religion, drama, pottery, writing and warfare, shed revealing light on these first civilizations, and the book is completed by concise at-aglance chronologies of the past. For students of ancient history and armchair travellers and archaeologists, The Atlas of the Ancient World is a source of endless fascination. .