Suggested Readings

CULTURE, AGRICULTURE, AND CIVILIZATION

Cavalli-Sforza, Luigi Luca and Francesco Cavalli-Sforza. The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolution. Translation by Sarah Thorne. 1995. An important study connecting genetics, human migrations, and the spread of languages.

Clark, Grahame. World Prehistory in New Perspective, illustrated 3rd edition. 1996. An up-to-date survey of world prehistory.

Fagan, Brian. People of the Earth: An Introduction to World Prehistory. 1998. A comprehensive textbook that introduces basic issues with a wealth of illustrations and explanatory materials.

Fowler, Brenda. Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier. 2000. A lively account of the discovery of Otzi the Iceman and the scientific and political quarrels over how to interpret his remains and who should own them.

Spindler, Konrad. The Man in the Ice: The Discovery of a 5,000-Year-Old Body Reveals the Secrets of the Stone Age. 1994. A leader of the international team of experts interprets the corpse of a Neolithic hunter found in the Austrian Alps.

Andrews, Anthony P. First Cities. 1995. An excellent introduction to the development of urbanism in the Middle East, Egypt, India, China, and the Americas.

Greengus, Samuel. "Legal and Social Institutions of Ancient Mesopotamia," in Civilizations of the Ancient Middle East, ed. Jack M. Sasson. 1995, vol I, 469--484. A clear presentation of basic principles of law and administration of justice. Supplies a bibliography of ancient texts.

Harris, David R., ed. The Origins and Spread of Agriculture and Pastoralism in Eurasia. 1996. A collection of detailed essays by noted experts that draw on the latest research.

Knapp, A. Bernard. The History and Culture of Ancient Western Asia and Egypt. 1988. An excellent overview of primary developments by a leading scholar. Very useful as an introduction to main developments.

Kramer, Samuel Noah. The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. 1963. This expert Sumerologist gives a fascinating overview of all aspects of Sumerian society.

Kuhrt, Amelie. The Ancient Middle East: ca. 3000--330 b.c., vol. 1. 1995. An authoritative and up-to-date survey that combines archaeological and textual evidence in a lucid narrative with rich documentation.

Postgate, J.N. Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History. 1992. An introduction that combines archaeological and historical information in a highly readable format. Contains maps, illustrative materials, and translated texts.

Schmandt-Besserat, Denise. How Writing Came About. 1996. A highly readable and groundbreaking argument that cuneiform writing developed from a method of counting with tokens.

Van De Mieroop, Marc, A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC. 2004. An extremely readable account tha provides a historical and political framework. Especially goodfor beginning students in the field.

Andrews, Carol, Egyptian Mummies (1990). A well-illustrated and clearly written overview of mummies in their ancient context.

Franke, Detlef. " The Middle Kingdom in Egypt," in Civilizations of the Ancient Middle East, ed. Jack M. Sasson. 1995, vol II, 735--748. A clear introduction to major developments.

Hassan, Fekri A. "Egypt in the Prehistory of Northeast Africa," in Civilizations of the Ancient Middle East, ed. Jack M. Sasson. 1995, vol II, 665--678. Places the development of Egyptian society in the larger context of Africa.

Kemp, Barry J. "Unification and Urbanization of Ancient Egypt," in Civilizations of the Ancient Middle East, ed. Jack M. Sasson. 1995, vol II, 679--690. Describes the emergence of towns and political unification of the early phases of Egyptian history.

Lichtheim, Miriam. Ancient Egyptian Literature: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, vol I. 1975. A collection of translated texts with helpful introductions and bibliography.

Manley, Bill. The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt. 1996. An excellent collection of color maps with extensive historical explanation.

Murnane, William J. "The History of Ancient Egypt: An Overview" in Civilizations of the Ancient Middle East, ed. Jack M. Sasson. 1995, vol II, 691--718. A good place to start for a "big picture" of ancient Egyptian history.

Quirke, Stephen, Ancient Egyptian Religion, 1992. A brilliant synthesis and explanation of basic Egyptian beliefs and practices.

Redford, Donald B. Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times. 1993. A distinguished Egyptologist discusses three thousand years of uninterrupted contact between Egypt and southwestern Asia.

Stadelman, Rainer. "Builders of the Pyramids," in Civilizations of the Ancient Middle East, ed. Jack M. Sasson. 1995, vol II, 719--734. An important introduction to the circumstances of the construction of the pyramids.

Taylor, John H., Unwrapping a Mummy. The Life, Death and Embalming of Horemkenesi

1996. A well --illustrated discussion of all aspects of mummification through examination of the mummy of an Egyptian official of the New Kingdom.

Trigger, Bruce G. Early Civilizations: Ancient Egypt in Context. 1995. A leading cultural anthropologist examines Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt through comparison with the early civilizations of China, Peru, Mexico, Mesopotamia, and Africa.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF EUROPE

Clarke, D.V., T.G.Cowie, and A. Foxton, Symbols of Power at the Tome of Stonehenge.1985. A useful exhibition catalogue with essays by noted scholars on this fascinating monument.

Cunliffe, Barry, ed. The Oxford Illustrated Prehistory of Europe. 1994. An important synthesis of recent research by leading archaeologists.

Bogucki, Peter. Forest Farmers and Stockherders: Early Agriculture and its Consequences. 1988. A clear synthesis of archaeological evidence from northern Europe.

Hodder, Ian. The Domestication of Europe. 1990. Offers a continent-wide synthesis of evidence.

Mallory, J.P. In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology, and Myth. 1989. A major study surveying different theories about the origins and spread of Indo-European languages. Highly accessible treatment of linguistic and archaeological theories by a leading expert.