Imagine living in a world where people paid their taxes with chocolate
(Aztecs), where schoolchildren wrote their lessons on clay tablets instead of
paper (Sumer), or where you could be killed for stepping on your chief's
shadow (Polynesia). These are just a few of the civilizations explored in this
compelling and beautifully illustrated atlas.
The Atlas of Ancient Worlds is divided into six geographical sections, giving
comprehensive coverage of the world's first societies and cultures. The first
section looks at the early Middle East, where the cities of Sumer and Assyria
developed. The second focuses on Africa, opening with the pyramids and
palaces along the River Nile. The third section looks at Europe from the
heroic age of Greece to the military might of the Roman Empire. The next
covers Asia including India, the glittering cities of China, and Japan in the age
of the Samurai. The fifth section journeys to the colourful kingdoms of the
Aztecs and the Maya, the empire of the Incas, and the cliff dwellers of North
America. Finally, the Oceania section follows the Polynesian seafarers, warlike
Maoris, and the aboriginal people of Australia.