The Barbarians: Lost Civilizations

(Paperback)

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Description

The civilizations of Greece and Rome that flourished in Mediterranean Europe did not develop in isolation. To their north, non-literate peoples inhabited river valleys, mountains, plains and coasts from the Atlantic to the Urals. Their story, known almost exclusively through archaeological finds of settlements, offerings, monuments and burials, is as compelling as that of the great literate, urban civilizations. Moreover, the prehistoric past of Europe echoes into the modern era through new discoveries, celebrations of the past, tourist attractions and even politics. Beginning in the Stone Age and continuing through the collapse of the Roman empire in the west, The Barbarians describes the increasing complexity, technological accomplishments and distinctive practices of peoples who entered recorded history very late and then mainly through second-hand accounts. Peter Bogucki highlights important discoveries and situates them in a narrative of long-term continuous development and modern understanding of the nature of ancient societies, as well as considering the rich and varied legacy left to us today.

Reviews

'Bogucki takes us on a travel tour of Europe, offering a series of wonderfully written vignettes about sites and situations of the prehistoric past. The Barbarians is an ideal way for students and lay readers alike to enter into the past with ease.' Ian W. Brown, Professor and Chair, Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama; 'The authors goal is to present an overview of prehistoric Europe via modern archaeological discoveries, with the major focus on the years between 2000 BCE and 500 CE. Archaeologist Bogucki (Princeton) provides valuable information from the European Stone, Bronze, and Iron ages to balance the biased written records from the hostile Greek and Roman accounts that depict the northern barbarians as violent and depraved subhumans . . . The author brings an intriguing story of barbarians into the present consciousness via looking at their emerging politics, complex economic and social systems, and evolving, sophisticated culture as evidenced in objective physical remains . . . Recommended.' Choice; 'Peter Boguckis The Barbarians: Lost Civilizations is a beautifully bound and illustrated work of approachable scholarship . . . ably covering the most significant events in early European history from a learned and always interesting perspective. Bogucki details how the Barbarians played a role equal to that of the Classical civilizations in the creation of European culture, and their legacy, while necessarily much harder to trace and define, is every bit as important and lasting as their Mediterranean brethren.' Ancient History Encyclopedia; Winner of the Felicia A. Holton Book Award 2020, Archaeological Institute of America; Winner of the Popular Book Prize 2018, Society for American Archaeology

Author Bio

Peter Bogucki serves as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University. He is the author of The Origins of Human Society (1999) and co-editor of Ancient Europe: An Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World (2003).