Series: World History Series.
Subject Areas: History.
Ages: 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16.
Type: Combined volumes (C/V), Internet-Linked

Ancient World is available as a separate volume, or as part of the Encyclopedia of World History which I reviewed yesterday. This period encompasses the birth of farming, towns and cities, the growth of trade and crafts, and all sorts of empires. It was also the time of the birth of most of the world's religions. Your student will learn about the Minoans, the Mycenaeans, the Babylonians, the early Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Hebrews, the Phoenicians, the Assyrians, the Persians, the early Greeks, the Scythians, the early Chinese, the Japanese, Arabs, Africans, India, the Americas, the Celts, the Romans, the early Christians, and the barbarians who helped bring an end to the vast Roman Empire. Whew! That's a lot of ground to cover. This section ends at 500 A.D.

The maps on every page or two help the reader to orient themselves to the current area of study. Loads of "cutaway" illustrations show the inside of buildings, tents, boats, igloos, and more. Some of the most striking illustrations are of: the Colosseum with the sea of humanity seated there, the Pyramid of the Sun in Central America, and the Great Wall of China being built.

Information is presented in chunks that are easily digested and there is a wonderful flow to the whole story of mankind's growth during this time. I like the section at the beginning that explains how we know so much about this time period and its people -- archaeology and the objects discovered. Usborne's Internet-Linked Archaeology is a natural fit with the Encyclopedia of World History or its component titles.

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Of Interest To: Librarians and Media Specialists, Parents, Teachers