Books in The Ancient World series

Thousands of years ago, a variety of civilizations developed throughout the land we now know as China. Over time, they grew and changed, eventually forming a single empire. This title details the details the birth and development of ancient China, from its earliest days to its transition into more modern times. Readers will learn about ancient Chinese religion and culture and discover how the work of ancient Chinese scholars and inventors continues to affect our world today.

Beginning with the founding of Rome, each chapter features important figures- including Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Hadrian to discuss the evolution of the republic, Greek influences, and rise of Christianity. Chapters on gladiatorial games, business, and class conflict balance out sections covering emperors, wars, and conquests. Numerous illustrations and full-color photographs of site, artifacts, and period artwork bring the time period to life for readers. The engaging and accessible writing, combined with sourced quotations make it a useful resource for research and discovery.

Throughout history, many civilizations have sprung up and later disappeared in the land we now call India.This book charts the rise and fall of these civilizations, exploring their governments, culture, and geography. Readers (Grades 6-9) will also discover how archaeologists have uncovered artifacts to learn about these ancient peoples and how the discoveries and innovations of Ancient India continue to influence the world today.

Discover Mesopotamia, the world's first civilization.Over ten thousand years ago, humans began settling in the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now southwestern Asia. Over time, these early settlements grew into Mesopotamia, the world's first civilization. Readers (Grades -9) will discover the long history of this incredible civilization and the incredible impact it had on the development of the world as we know it today.

Jennifer Roberts and Tracy Barrett bring together their respective mastery of scholarship and storytelling to tell the history of a place, a people, and a culture that has left some of the most beautiful art, the greatest stories, and the most magnificent cities and buildings that the world has ever known. The Ancient Greek World uses primary sources such as Homer's Odyssey, Herodotus' Histories, a Minoan drinking cup, and a child's grave epitaph to present a balanced and lively narrative history of ancient Greece. A chronology, cast of characters, maps, pronunciation table, further reading, and index supplement the main text.

Recounts the involvement of Odysseus and the other Greek heroes in the Trojan War and the hardships and adventures endured by Odysseus on his way home from the war. Site reconstructions, photographs, and other archeological evidence depict the civilization of the Greek world at the time of this legendary story.Describes the events of "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," with details on the Greek and Trojan way of life at the time

Thousands of years ago, in what is now Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico, the Mayan people began to build one of history's greatest civilizations.This book details the history of the Mayan people, from the settlement of their earliest villages and farms to their demise at the hands of the Spanish in the 16th century. Readers (Grades 6-9) will discover how Mayan culture grew and developed over time and how these remarkable people continue to influence the world today.

Taking readers back 4,000 years, to the fertile land around the Nile River, The Ancient Egyptian World tells the stories of the kings, queens, pharaohs, gods, tomb builders, and ordinary citizens who lived there. Using papyri, scarabs, tomb inscriptions, mummies, and a rich variety of other primary sources, Eric H. Cline and Jill Rubalcaba uncover the fascinating history of ancient Egypt. Scarabs, which scholars call "imperial news bulletins," record important moments in a pharaoh's reign. The Edwin Smith Papyrus details the injuries sustained by the builders of the great pyramids, and the remedies used to treat them. For a worker who has had a stone fall on his head, it suggests: "bind it with fresh meat . . . and treat afterward with grease, honey and lint." A complex recipe for a top-of-the-line mummy describes a process that could take 70 days and involved drawing the brain out through the nose with a crooked piece of iron. These primary sources also tell the stories of the people of ancient Egypt: Pepi II, the six-year-old boy king who commanded armies; Ramesses II, whose mortuary temple boasts of his expertise in battle against the Hittites; Queen Hatshepsut, the only woman to rule Egypt as pharaoh; and Cleopatra, who courted Roman statesman Mark Antony as part of her quest to extend the Egyptian empire. The Ancient Egyptian World honors the history of a civilization whose monuments and tombs still capture the imagination of the world thousands of years later.

An exceptionally detailed investigation of Roman civilization from its founding to its decline in the West twelve centuries later,Thhis book examines Roman political institutions, key figures, and geography. Readers (Grades 6-9) will encounter Roman religion through the ages and discover its role in shaping Roman society and family life. They will also learn about Rome's contributions to modern language, law, and architecture.

Pangu, a god asleep inside a giant black egg for 18,000 years, wakes up to create the world. Liu Bang, the founder of a Chinese dynasty, begins his life as a peasant. Sun Tzu, a fearless war strategist, writes one of the most popular books of all time. These are just a few of the captivating figures you'll meet in The Ancient Chinese World. Terry Kleeman and Tracy Barrett use a rich variety of intriguing primary sources-turtle shells, clay pots, an ancient wall, folk songs, poetry, and more-to construct a lively history of the politicians, farmers, warriors, and philosophers who created and shaped the ancient Chinese world. They also show us the fascinating process of constructing the historical jigsaw puzzle. Archaeologists discover a 400,000-year-old skull near modern-day Beijing and determine that it is one of our earliest human ancestors. A scholar who is prescribed "dragon bones" to cure an illness realizes that the bones-which are actually turtle shells-contain ancient Chinese writing used to send messages to the gods. The fantastic discovery of Lady Hao's tomb reveals that in ancient China a powerful woman led soldiers into battle. The letters exchanged by two military leaders show not only how the Chinese invented the sword, but also how they used the kite as a military weapon. Using these ancient artifacts and writings, Kleeman and Barrett weave the dramatic story of rulers, writers, soldiers, and citizens who made up the fascinating and unique world of ancient China.

Want to speak Hittite? Hold out a glass and ask for “wa-tar.” This unique activity book for children ages nine and up shows what life was like among the Nubians, Mesopotamians, Hittites, and their neighbors the Egyptians from around 3100 B.C., when Upper and Lower Egypt became one kingdom, to the death of Queen Cleopatra under the Romans, in 30 B.C. Projects such as building a Nubian irrigation machine, creating a Mesopotamian cylinder seal out of clay, making kilts like those worn by Egyptian boys and men, and writing in Hittite cuneiform help young readers to connect with these ancient cultures and see how profoundly they have influenced our own.

Peter Connolly's book brings to life the people and events of a crucial period in the history of the world. Spanning a hundred years that culminate in the fall of Masada in 73 AD, Connolly reconstructs the daily lives--domestic, religious, and military--of the Jewish people in Judea, Galilee, and Jerusalem, mostly under the reign of the great King Herod. The book's fascinating illustrations, based on exhaustive up-to-date research, recreate minute details with stunning precision. The volume features a tour of the geography of the eastern Mediterranean and a review of archaeological excavations and discoveries in the region. For young adults interested in Jewish history, the ancient world, and the beginnings of Christianity, this book offers thorough information with unique clarity.