Making Civilizations: The World before 600
Distinguished historians of the ancient world analyze the earliest developments in human history and the rise of the first major civilizations, from the Middle East to India and China.

In this volume of the six-part History of the World series, Hans-Joachim Gehrke, a noted scholar of ancient Greece, leads a distinguished group of historians in analyzing prehistory, the earliest human settlements, and the rise of the world’s first advanced civilizations.

The Neolithic period—sometimes called the Agrarian Revolution—marked a turning point in human history. People were no longer dependent entirely on hunting animals and gathering plants but instead cultivated crops and reared livestock. This led to a more settled existence, notably along rivers such as the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Ganges, and Yangzi. Increased mastery of metals, together with innovations in tools and technologies, led to economic specialization, from intricate crafts to deadlier weapons, which contributed to the growth of village communities as well as trade networks. Family was the fundamental social unit, its relationships and hierarchies modeled on the evolving relationship between ruler and ruled. Religion, whether polytheist or monotheist, played a central role in shaping civilizations from the Persians to the Israelites. The world was construed in terms of a divinely ordained order: the Chinese imperial title Huangdi expressed divinity and heavenly splendor, while Indian emperor Ashoka was heralded as the embodiment of moral law.

From the latest findings about the Neanderthals to the founding of imperial China to the world of Western classical antiquity, Making Civilizations offers an authoritative overview of humanity’s earliest eras.

1132628083
Making Civilizations: The World before 600
Distinguished historians of the ancient world analyze the earliest developments in human history and the rise of the first major civilizations, from the Middle East to India and China.

In this volume of the six-part History of the World series, Hans-Joachim Gehrke, a noted scholar of ancient Greece, leads a distinguished group of historians in analyzing prehistory, the earliest human settlements, and the rise of the world’s first advanced civilizations.

The Neolithic period—sometimes called the Agrarian Revolution—marked a turning point in human history. People were no longer dependent entirely on hunting animals and gathering plants but instead cultivated crops and reared livestock. This led to a more settled existence, notably along rivers such as the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Ganges, and Yangzi. Increased mastery of metals, together with innovations in tools and technologies, led to economic specialization, from intricate crafts to deadlier weapons, which contributed to the growth of village communities as well as trade networks. Family was the fundamental social unit, its relationships and hierarchies modeled on the evolving relationship between ruler and ruled. Religion, whether polytheist or monotheist, played a central role in shaping civilizations from the Persians to the Israelites. The world was construed in terms of a divinely ordained order: the Chinese imperial title Huangdi expressed divinity and heavenly splendor, while Indian emperor Ashoka was heralded as the embodiment of moral law.

From the latest findings about the Neanderthals to the founding of imperial China to the world of Western classical antiquity, Making Civilizations offers an authoritative overview of humanity’s earliest eras.

48.0 In Stock

Hardcover

$48.00 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

Distinguished historians of the ancient world analyze the earliest developments in human history and the rise of the first major civilizations, from the Middle East to India and China.

In this volume of the six-part History of the World series, Hans-Joachim Gehrke, a noted scholar of ancient Greece, leads a distinguished group of historians in analyzing prehistory, the earliest human settlements, and the rise of the world’s first advanced civilizations.

The Neolithic period—sometimes called the Agrarian Revolution—marked a turning point in human history. People were no longer dependent entirely on hunting animals and gathering plants but instead cultivated crops and reared livestock. This led to a more settled existence, notably along rivers such as the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Ganges, and Yangzi. Increased mastery of metals, together with innovations in tools and technologies, led to economic specialization, from intricate crafts to deadlier weapons, which contributed to the growth of village communities as well as trade networks. Family was the fundamental social unit, its relationships and hierarchies modeled on the evolving relationship between ruler and ruled. Religion, whether polytheist or monotheist, played a central role in shaping civilizations from the Persians to the Israelites. The world was construed in terms of a divinely ordained order: the Chinese imperial title Huangdi expressed divinity and heavenly splendor, while Indian emperor Ashoka was heralded as the embodiment of moral law.

From the latest findings about the Neanderthals to the founding of imperial China to the world of Western classical antiquity, Making Civilizations offers an authoritative overview of humanity’s earliest eras.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780674047174
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Publication date: 09/08/2020
Series: A History of the World , #1
Pages: 1216
Product dimensions: 6.38(w) x 9.25(h) x 2.25(d)

About the Author

Hans-Joachim Gehrke is Professor Emeritus at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He was previously President of the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin and Professor of Ancient History at the University of Freiburg, Free University of Berlin, and University of Würzburg. He is a member of the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

Akira Iriye is Charles Warren Professor of American History, Emeritus, at Harvard University.

Jürgen Osterhammel is Professor of Modern History at the University of Konstanz.

Mark Edward Lewis is Kwoh-Ting Li Professor in Chinese Culture at Stanford University.

Table of Contents

Introduction Hans-Joachim Gehrke 1

1 Prehistory and Early History Hermann Parzinger

Introduction 41

1 The Emergence of Modern Humans 44

2 Sedentism, a Productive Economy, and Group Identity 58

3 Innovations, Upheavals, and Complex Societies 149

4 Areas beyond Advanced Civilizations 212

5 On Time Axes and Axial Ages 290

2 Early Civilizations of the Ancient Near East: Egypt and Western Asia Karen Radner

Introduction 307

1 Early States 322

2 Writing Everywhere: Bureaucrats, Men of Letters, and Trading Companies 363

3 Chariots and Glass: New Toys for Royal Brethren 393

4 A New Beginning: Petty States and Great Empires 429

3 The World of Classical Antiquity Hans-Joachim Gehrke

Introduction 479

1 On the Way to a New World: The Mediterranean and Its Environs 482,

2 Persians and Greeks: The World Divided 523

3 The Roman Republic 563

4 The Hellenistic World 580

5 The Zenith and Decline of the Roman Republic 611

6 The Roman Empire and Global Unity 644

4 Ancient China Mark Edward Lewis

Introduction 703

1 Geographic Background 711

2 The Archaic State: Shang and Zhou 731

3 The Warring States Transition 746

4 The First Empires: Qin and Han 762

5 Early Cities 776

6 The Great Families: Wei and Jin 792

7 The Military Dynasties: Song, Qi, Liang, Chen, and Northern Wei 805

8 The Institutional Religions: Daoism and Buddhism 816

9 Medieval Cities 829

10 Early Imperial China and the Outer World 843

11 Reunification and the Fall of the Sui Dynasty 855

5 South Asia and Southeast Asia Axel Michaels

Introduction 867

1 Harappan Civilization, c. 2.600-1900 BC 871

2 The Arrival of the Indo-Aryans, Second Millennium BC 896

3 Vedic Culture, c. 1750-500 BC 910

4 State Structures and Ascetic Movements, 600-200 BC 931

5 Between the Great Empires: Transregional Connections, C. 200 BC-AD 300 961

6 The Classical Age and the Formation of Hinduism, c. 300-600 980

7 India's Influence in East and Southeast Asia 1009

Notes 1025

Selected Bibliography 1109

Contributors 1181

Index 1183

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews