by Raven Todd DaSilva
Release Date: October 29, 2024
2024 Mango
Ebook ARC; 350 Pages
ISBN: 978-1684813230
ASIN: B0DHM9PBNC
Genre: Non-Fiction / Ancient History
Source: Review copy from publisher
4 / 5 Stars
Summary
A more nuanced look at the ancient world. The Other Ancient Civilisations looks
outside mainstream ancient civilisations and cultures and delves into
astounding finds unearthed at archaeological sites around the world.
Discover the archaeology that sheds light on the secret stories of the
Nubians, Olmec, Xiongnu, Minoans, Akkadians, and many more. Each chapter
delves beyond the rise and fall of each society, highlighting the lives
of everyday peoples of the past. Discover who they interacted with and
how they lived, and what we can learn from them.
My Thoughts
The Other Ancient Civilisations is definitely a must-read for both those who are fascinated with ancient civilisations and have an in-depth knowledge and for those who are just starting their journey into ancient historical civilisations. To be clear, this book is not meant to be an in-depth study of any of the cultures mentioned, but more of an introduction to some of the more obscure civilisations that existed in our past; it can be used as a launching pad into a more in-depth study if one wishes.
Even with a background in history, I love these kinds of books and have read several this past year. Focusing primarily on ancient cultures that are not discussed a lot in mainstream media, the book highlights around twenty ancient civilisations and includes maps and pictures of artefacts. Because I had the kindle edition, I went online to look up some of the colour photographs so I could study the photos in-depth, but that is just me as the photos were fine in the kindle version.
Although I was familiar with a lot of the chapters in this book, there were some that I had just heard about so it was nice to learn more about them. I even flagged the sources so I could do further reading in the future. A few that stood out to me were the Olmec, Xiongnu, Dilman, and Lapita civilisations, and I appreciated the knowledge and research that went into those chapters.
The writing style was clear and concise, and if you are new to reading historical non-fiction, you will find this book easy to read. That doesn't mean the author doesn't display her depth of knowledge and research, she just understands how to relay the information in terms that are easy to understand for people who don't have a deep knowledge of the material. I also enjoyed the fact the author didn't focus entirely on the royal families, but discussed the daily lives of people and how war interrupted their lives creating chaos and resentment at times. The focus was very much on the societies and how they all worked together, or did not function so well together, not simply on the elite.
Verdict
The Other Ancient Civilisations had a nice, easy reading style that flowed very well from chapter to chapter. Even though it didn't go as in-depth as I would have liked, I did manage to flag a lot of things that interested me to do further research and the source material sent me on a hunt to order more books about these civilisations. And although the book doesn't go into enough depth for me, it was still fascinating reading and would be a great book for those who want to learn more about these cultures without being bogged down in details that can make the reading experience feel more like a textbook. Of particular interest are the opening vignettes that draw you into the society through the eyes of someone who lived during that time period and made the time period feel more alive.
Im glad you found some value in it, thanks for sharing your thoughts
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