The Black Sea and the Early Civilizations of Europe, the Near East and Asia

The Black Sea lies at the junction of three major cultural areas: Europe, Central Asia, and the Near East. It plays a crucial role in enduring discussions about the impact of complex Near Eastern societies on European societies, and the repercussions of early urbanization across Eurasia. This book presents the first comprehensive overview of the Black Sea region in the prehistoric period. It penetrates artificial boundaries imposed by traditions, politics, and language to encompass both the European and Asiatic coasts and both Eastern European and Western scholarly literature. With a critical compilation and synthesis of archaeological data, this study situates the prehistoric Black Sea in a global historical context. By adopting the perspective of technology and innovation, it transcends a purely descriptive account of material culture and emphasizes society, human interaction, and engagement with the material world.

Author: Mariya Ivanova
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 08/26/2013
Pages: 404
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.40lbs
Size: 10.20h x 7.20w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9781107032194

Review Citation(s):
Choice 03/01/2014

About the Author
Ivanova, Mariya: - Mariya Ivanova is lecturer in Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Heidelberg and research fellow at the German Archaeological Institute. She has participated in field projects in Turkey and in southeast and central Europe. She is author of Fortified Settlements in the Balkans, in the Aegean and Western Anatolia, c.5000-2000 BC and has published articles in Prähistorische Zeitschrift, the Oxford Journal of Archaeology and Eurasia Antiqua.