ABSTRACT

Ancient history has traditionally focused on Greece and Rome. This book takes a global approach to the distant past, following the development of human societies across the globe from the last Ice Age, 11,700 years ago, to the rise of Islam in the seventh century CE.

The only book of its kind, A Global History of the Ancient World provides succinct narratives of the first Asian, African and European civilizations and their importance for later history without foregoing the key topics of conventional textbooks. Thematic overviews give truly global perspectives on connections, disconnections and parallel developments shaping the ancient world.

Written for students of history, classics and related disciplines, the book will appeal to anyone interested in widening their view of early history.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

Ancient history and global history

chapter 1|11 pages

Great changes

Until c. 4000 BCE

chapter 2|13 pages

Making sense of past societies

chapter 3|19 pages

Metals and the first complex societies

Until c. 1200 BCE

chapter 4|7 pages

Early Iron Age crisis and recovery

c. 1200–800 BCE

chapter 5|19 pages

City-states and empires in the Iron Age

C. 800–335 BCE

chapter 6|18 pages

City-states and collective government

chapter 7|30 pages

The empires strike back

335 BCE–200 CE

chapter 8|22 pages

Crisis, consolidation and collapse

200–651 CE

chapter |3 pages

Conclusion

A global history of the ancient world