Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome Book

"Ancient Cities" surveys the cities of the Ancient Near East, Egypt, and the Greek and Roman worlds from an archaeological perspective, in their cultural and historical contexts. It aims to bring to life the physical world of ancient city dwellers by concentrating on evidence recovered by archaeological excavations from the Mediterranean basin and south-west Asia. Its focus is on the physical appearance of cities - their urban form - and the architecture and geography that created it. Attention is also paid to non-urban features such as religious sanctuaries and burial grounds, places and institutions that were a familiar part of the city-dweller's experience. Objects or artefacts, which represented the essential furnishings for everyday life, are also discussed and include pottery, sculpture, wall paintings, mosaics and coins. "Ancient Cities" presents a range of Old World cultures in comprehensive detail, giving equal weight to the Preclassical and Classical periods and linking these ancient cultures together in a long chain of interconnections. User-friendly features include: use of clear and accessible language, assuming no previous background knowledge; lavishly illustrated with nearly 300 line drawings, maps and photographs; and historical summaries. "Ancient Cities" should be useful reading for university students in archaelogy, ancient history and classical studies and will also appeal to students of ancient civilization at high school level.Read More