by Stephen Bourke
Product price excludes shipping, calculated at checkout
This authoritative and detailed, yet accessible book chronicles the Middle East's transformation from Neolithic beginnings to the Arab conquest, revealing how this crucial region nurtured humanity's first permanent settlements and gave birth to the complex societies that would define civilization.
These cultures produced the earliest agriculture, metalworking and writing systems, as well as the earliest centralised governments and legal systems, priesthoods and kings, and large-scale organised warfare. The Middle East: The Cradle of Civilization synthesizes the latest research and information from a range of disciplines to tell this fascinating account of how a group of linguistically disparate, nomadic tribes responded to specific social, economic and environmental factors to form the world’s first complex societies. Discussing the rise and fall of ancient Middle Eastern societies including Sumeria, Babylonia, Anatolia, the Levant, Assyria and Persia - and the lasting impact that these cultures have had on the modern world.
This book is the creation of an international team of academics from the archaeological, ancient historical, near eastern and linguistic fields. Divided into six easily navigable parts arranged chronologically, and then into chapters exploring the history, religion, political and social organization, art, science and architecture of the peoples of the region. The text is illustrated with more than 500 superb full colour images – artifacts, artworks, statues, reliefs, buildings and landscapes – as well as six detailed maps, which bring the region’s dramatic past vividly to life. A generously illustrated historical survey of a fascinating region, now available in a new format.
Dr Stephen Bourke is Research Associate at the University of Sydney. He currently directs Sydney University excavations at Pella in Jordan, and has written or contributed to over 70 archaeological publications over the last 35 years.
Other contributors to this book include:
Maree Browne, Professor Mark W. Chavalas, Dr Kate da Costa, Dr Peter Edwell, Dr Yosef Garfinkel, Dr Leore Grosman, Dr Lloyd Llewelyn-Jones, Dr Kevin M. McGeough, Dr Karen Radner, Dr Seth Richardson, Dr Sandra Scham, Dr Gonen Sharon, Dr Matt Waters.
Paperback
Book contains 368 pages
Dimensions: 25.4 x 20.3 x 2.8 cm
Shipping to United States of America is now available
Pickup
Our Pickup service is a convenient way for you to order online and collect your purchase in person at the Museum. Simply select the Pickup option at checkout.
You will be notified when your order is ready for collection. Please don't come to the museum to collect until you have received the email notification. We ask that you collect your Pickup order from the Ashmolean Shop (Level -1) before 4pm.
Once you have received the collection notification, we will hold your order for you up to 2 weeks. Please ensure that you visit the Museum to collect your order within 2 weeks.
The Online Shop team operates between Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00, so please allow time for us to prepare your order for collection, particularly at busy times of the year. We aim to have your order ready for collection within 72 hours.
Delivery Information
The Online Shop team operates between Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00, so please allow time for us to prepare your order for dispatch before contacting us. We aim to dispatch your purchases within 3-5 working days and you will receive an email notification when your order has been dispatched. In addition, while we endeavour to get your parcel to you as quickly as possible, you may experience delays through your local postal service.
All products excluding Print on Demand prints:
All our UK orders are dispatched via Royal Mail First Class post or DHL, and the shipping cost will be calculated at checkout based on the weight of the items included in the order.
All International orders are dispatched using DHL DAP service. This means that we will only charge you for the cost of shipping. We offer a flat rate of shipping according to the delivery address location. Additional local duties and taxes charges, such as Goods and Services Tax (GST), may be applicable and will be calculated and charged to the recipient during customs clearance. The duties and taxes will be calculated according to the value, Country of Origin, and product type of the order contents, as well as local VAT.
Customs policies vary for each country, so it is advised you contact your local customs office for further information.
Delivery Costs and Timeframes:
UK 1st Class: delivery 2-5 business days from dispatch
- Small – Medium parcel (<1,999g) – shipping cost £5.00
- Medium – Large parcel (2,000g – 5,000g) – shipping cost £8.00
Europe: approximately 3-11 business days from dispatch (customs clearance may cause delays). PO Box addresses cannot be accepted.
- Flat rate (2,000g maximum) – shipping cost £24.00 (does not include taxes and duties)
Rest of World: approximately 3-11 business days from dispatch (customs clearance may cause delays). PO Box addresses cannot be accepted.
- Flat rate (2,000g maximum) – shipping cost £28.00 (does not include taxes and duties)
Weight Restrictions
There is 5kg weight restriction for UK orders, and a 2kg weight restriction for International orders. If your order exceeds this weight, please contact the Online Shop team so that we can organise a quote for special delivery: onlineshop@ashmus.ox.ac.uk
Further information on our delivery options and returns policy can be found in Shipping & Returns.
