The Middle East: The Cradle of Civilization synthesizes the latest research & 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 & environmental factors to form the world`s first complex societies. This is an authoritative, detailed & accessible story, divided into six easily navigable parts arranged chronologically, & then into chapters exploring the history, religion, political & social organization, art, science & architecture of the peoples of the region. The text is illustrated with more than 500 superb full colour images
- artifacts, artworks, statues, reliefs, buildings & landscapes
- as well as six detailed maps, which bring the region`s dramatic past vividly to life.