Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World [Hardcover]

Chris Scarre (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1993

This full-color volume covers the span of prehistory, from the beginnings of the Earth and the emergence of mankind in Africa, through to Egypt and the pyramids, the fall of the Roman Empire, the voyages of discovery, and the height of the Inca Empire -- everything through A.D. 1500. Superbly illustrated with 1,700 color photographs of museum artifacts, archaeological finds, artists' reconstructions, and specially commissioned maps, Timelines is the first comprehensive visual timechart.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This engaging illustrated chronology of human and natural history from the beginning of life on earth to A.D. 1500 combines the intellectual and material resources of the Smithsonian Institution with the strong graphics of the publisher. The large-format volume presents its content uniformly in grid fashion in four parts comprising 18 chapters. The illustrations are impressive, numbering 1400 photos and 400 maps, all in color. Chapters display their information under four horizontal headings: food/environment, shelter, technology, and art in a two-page spread; geographic areas (continents) are given in vertical columns. Each chapter opens with a brief narrative and appropriate illustrations of the topic and offers a special feature (e.g., Neanderthals, origin of food production, Olmecs, art of Classical Greece). Timelines invites comparison with Past Worlds: The Times Atlas of Archaeology (Hammond, 1988). The two present much of the same information, but Timelines 's success lies in its at-a-glance visual presentation of past eras and major geographic regions. The editor-in-chief is a noted Cambridge scholar. Recommended for school and most public libraries.
- Harry E. Whitmore, formerly with Univ. of Maine, Augusta
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

More than 1,800 full-color illustrations illuminate this oversize chronology spanning the period from prehistory to the time of Columbus. It enables readers to see at a glance what events have taken place in different parts of the world during a specific time period. Scholars from the Smithsonian Institution were contributors and reviewers of the work; hence, the title.

The aim of Smithsonian Timelines is to present the human story from earliest times to 1500 A.D. This timespan is divided into 18 chapters, each with a series of maps, large-scale time charts, and special-feature pages.

Each chapter begins with an introduction that highlights important aspects of the period. Maps of five regions of the globe emphasize a special topic for that period, such as irrigation canals in the Americas or incense trade in the Middle East. The time charts are divided into the same five regions: the Americas, East Asia and Australasia, the Middle East and South Asia, Europe, and Africa, each color coded for easy identification. The five regions are examined under four themes: "Food and Environment," "Shelter and Architecture," "Technology and Innovation," and "Art and Ritual." Following the time charts, two-page features explore topics that reflect a region, culture, issue, or theme, for example, "Urban Life in Ephesus" or "Pueblo Villages." In addition to photographs are drawings in which artists have reconstructed buildings and sites of the featured time period, with the assistance of archaeological evidence. A subject index brings together topics found on several time charts (e.g., animals in art).

This beautiful reference book offers both children and adults an opportunity to travel back in time and follow the course of human achievement in various regions of the world. It should be a part of reference sections in every public library and all school libraries (elementary through high school) to browse or use as a research tool. Academic libraries should consider purchase, too.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (September 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564583058
• ISBN-13: 978-1564583055
• Product Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #789,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Is Rockin'!!, May 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World (Hardcover)

I am a student of Washington Middle School, and my teacher gave us an assignment of getting 20 trade timeline entries and 20 agricultural entries, and with this book, I got all but seven of my agriculture entries, and all my trade entries in two periods. This book may cost alot to buy, but if you go to your library and check it out, you can find out tons of stuff about the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa, about weapons, farming, art, etc... like I said, This book is rockin'!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Inadequate time lines and misleading title, August 16, 2009

By 

Jack Demirgian - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World (Hardcover)

This is NOT the book to view historical time lines. The title is a total misnomer. A better title would be "Archeological Tidbits Through Time". Historical time lines are less than 5% of the book and woefully inadequate. They are a small part of the first page of each chapter. For example, the Mongols had the largest empire in history and are only noted twice in the time line. The Byzantine empire which lasted for over 1000 years is scarcely covered. There are tidbits of their archeology but inconsistent followup.

The book is organized in four columns: Food & Environment, Shelter and Architecture, Technology and Innovation, Art & Ritual. The tidbits are almost always archeological. The rows are organized by continent. Each page advances in each of these categories through time. Even the archeological information is poorly organized in that it is not consistently followed through time.

There is virtually no information on the ebb and flow empires and their effects. There is no organization by religious or national states.

The only use for the book would be for students in lower grades that have to write a one page report on one of the column categories, which is why I gave it two stars.

If you want national, religious, and complete historical time lines, I'd suggest "Timelines of World History" by John Teeple, which is vastly superior.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World by Chris Scarre, February 29, 2004

By 

Jenny (South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful BIG book - so much more than an illustrated history book. It is a Trip through Time.
Before starting, you are instructed how to 'travel' through the many colorful pages, researching human origins or choosing to just wander back and forth enjoying human progress around the globe. You will be acquainted at a glance with how people lived, what they ate and their cultures. Their creative art and the advance of the technology of the time.
The team of Smithsonians have put together a wonderful collection of interesting material on a number of major civilizations stimulating readers of all ages to want to search for more as our human history unfolds.