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Early civilisation

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  • 29-10-2011 5:31pm
    #1
    MungBean
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭


    Can anyone recommend a good book on early civilisation or about humans in that era ? I'm presuming anything about mesopotamia would cover the general how's and why's of human change in that regard ?

    Any books on early societies/civilisations or even a summary of how humans developed and societies changed over the years would also be great.


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    #2
    Gee Bag
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,541 ✭✭✭Gee Bag


    The Human Past edited by Chris Scarre or Patterns in Prehistory by Mr. something Wenke

    These are both pretty good and are used as undergrad texts worldwide.


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    #3
    mikeyboy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 196 ✭✭mikeyboy


    Robert J Wenke, "Patterns In Prehistory" a brilliant book now on it's fifth edition
    Hans J Nissen, "The Early History Of The Ancient Near East" A fine non-specialist overview from the earliest settlements to the rise of the city states. It's translated from German though which sometimes makes it a bit hard to read as the translator has done it literally rather than idiomatically.
    Steven Mithen, "After The Ice". Traces how farming replaced hunter/gatherer society following the last ice age and how that gave rise to villages and towns. Very well written and informative although his method might not suit everyone, he conjures up a time traveling archeologist to relate the stories of the various civilisations.


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    #4
    MungBean
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭MungBean


    Thanks, all those books look pretty expensive so I'll keep an eye out for cheap seconds hand ones.

    I assume an old edition of Patterns in Prehistory would do for general interest and cover whats in the other books? The newer editions being aimed at undergrads as ya mentioned ?

    After the Ice looks good but expensive so I'd probably pick up an old second hand edition of Patterns in prehistory from Amazon for $5 including delivery. Cant see any cheap copies of the others.

    Might try pick up a few different books while I'm looking so if you think of anything of interest in the history department that may be found in the amazon bargain bin lemme know.


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    #5
    FensterDJ
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭FensterDJ


    Guns, germs and Steel by Jared diamond does a great job of explaining how societies and civilisations developed

    should be pretty easy to pick up cheap/second hand too

    http://www.amazon.com/Guns-Germs-Steel-Fates-Societies/dp/0393317552


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    #6
    MungBean
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭MungBean


    Those second hand books that sell through Amazon had me fooled. $2 + $3 shipping = $5 but then go to checkout and your charged $15 for the shipping.

    So in the end I went to book depository and spotted Cro-Magnon by Brian Fagan for a tenner with free delivery while I was getting a few others. Any of ya came across that one or the author ?

    Think it deals more with the early human from the ice age onwards than early civilisation so I may need to pick up a follow on book specifically about civilisations.


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