"The very name Mesopotamia is evocative. This land, whose name means "between two rivers," is also known as the Fertile Crescent. It's the Cradle of Civilization. Cities grew here. Agriculture was established. Writing was invented. But the cultures of Mesopotamia left the world many more inventions as well. Readers of this intriguing volume will be spellbound as they discover the extraordinary accomplishments of Mesopotamian cultures. Extensively...

"Thousands of years before Europeans reached the shores of the Americas, the ancestors of the Americas' native peoples arrived. These early people gave rise to great civilizations with a remarkable list of achievements. These accomplishments range from the birchbark canoe to the first organized game in the history of sports to agricultural innovations that produced foods that remain favorites today. This engrossing volume will fascinate readers as...

"Ancient Egypt truly left wonders for the world, from monumental sculptures and architecture--such as the Pyramids of Giza--to the glittering burial goods of Tutankhamun. But its achievements extend far beyond those wonders. Its inventions range from hieroglyphics and papyrus sheets to makeup, toothpaste, and breath mints! This enchanting volume will enthrall readers as they discover the marvels and achievements of ancient Egypt. Meticulously researched...

"Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The first excavations at the site were undertaken by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. In scientific terms, its extensive remains are the most significant demonstration of the first contact between the civilizations of Anatolia and the Mediterranean world. Moreover, the siege of Troy by Spartan and Achaean warriors from Greece in...

A concise yet wide-ranging survey of the invention and evolution of writing. The invention of writing marked the real beginning of civilization as we know it. Without writing, scholarship, religion, philosophy--and indeed, knowledge of every kind--would be rudimentary, for all these things depend on the traditions of communicable intelligence that only writing really secures. As a conscious and systematic activity, writing began in the fourth millennium...