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The Ancient Near East: A Very Short Introduction

Amanda H. Podany

December 2013

ISBN: 9780195377996

168 pages
Paperback
175x111mm

In Stock

Very Short Introductions

Price: £8.99

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Description

This book explores the lands of the ancient Near East from around 3200 BCE to 539 BCE. The earth-shaking changes that marked this era include such fundamental inventions as the wheel and the plow and intellectual feats such as the inventions of astronomy, law, and diplomacy.

  • Explores an area of ancient history not well covered for general readers
  • Illuminates the influential role of gods in the personal lives of the region's inhabitants during the period discussed
  • Closely examines cuneiform documents such as personal letters, treaties, a contract, and a hymn
  • Part of the bestselling Very Short Introduction series - over six million copies sold worldwide

About the Author(s)

Amanda H. Podany, Professor and Chair of History, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA

Amanda H. Podany is Professor and Chair of History at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is the author of the award-winning book Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East as well as a number of other books and articles on topics in ancient Near Eastern history.

Table of Contents

    List of illustrations
    Note on translations
    Acknowledgments
    1 Archaeology and environment
    2 The beginning of cities, 3600-2900 BCE
    3 The Early Dynastic period, 2900-2340 BCE
    4 The Akkadian empire, 2334-2112 BCE
    5 The Third Dynasty of Ur, 2112-2026 BCE
    6 The old Assyrian colonies, 1950-1740 BCE
    7. The Old Babylonian period, 2017-1595 BCE
    8. The Late Bronze Age, 1595-1155 BCE
    9. The Neo-Assyrian empire, 972-612 BCE
    10. The Neo-Babylonian empire, 612-539 BCE
    Chronology
    References
    Further reading
    Index

Reviews

"The book is a short, comprehensive and accessible way to first get in touch with a new subject...[It] can be useful for readers who do not know anything about the aforementioned region and its history, such as first term students." - Bibliotheca Orientalis

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