The Human Past

 

Title of the book: The Human Past

Author: Christopher Scarre editor

Publisher: Thames and Hudson

Publishing Date: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-500-28781-1

Summary:

Professor Chris Scarre has seamlessly integrated the work of an international team of archaeologists from North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The result is a unique textbook that engagingly and comprehensively embraces the entire expanse of human prehistory while also offering the most up-to-date accounts of separate regions and periods by the leading specialists in these areas. There are hundreds of maps, diagrams, and photographs, many in full color, as well as timelines and boxes on key sites, methods, discoveries, and controversies For the second edition, the text has been thoroughly updated to include recent discoveries and new interpretations from around the world. The coverage of archaeology in the Middle East is expanded to include the Jiroft excavations in Iran and the Late Bronze Age in Qatna, Syria. The Americas section includes new dates for Clovis sites and new information on Kennewick man. There is also a new discussion on the link between climate change in Mesoamerica and the many historical changes: the Classic Maya collapse, in particular.

Author Info:

N/A

Personal Opinion:

If there are negatives in the book, they are the awkward textbook format, and no maps much to mine frustration. (It honestly would have been helpful if every chapter had a map that highlighted where we were!) But other than that, a real and fascinating treasure trove of information that literally covers every conceivable corner of earth, from Europe to Africa to North America to South America to Asia to Australia and even to the islands. It was truly a wonderful and fascinating travel around the world that helped me see humanity and its capabilities in different lights. History doesn't begin with a written word, but existed long before we first conceived of record, which is the reason I read this book. It begins millions of years ago before the present times, about 6 million years ago, and, depends on the historical place, it stopped either at 6th century ME or 1700s ME. But yes, from the time our ancestors were developing into humans to early civilizations, this book covers it all. 

5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)