The other ancient civilisations Decoding archaeology's less celebrated cultures

From the Introduction The title of this book may be The Other Ancient Civilisations , but it is by no means meant to be an act of "othering." Rather, this book is a celebration. An invitation, if you will, to look beyond the popular ancient civilisations and cultures that dominate books, films, and television. That is not to say that the ancient Romans, Egyptians, Inca, and Maya are any less deserving of the spotlight that they have received. It is more to say that for them to shine, others have been ignored or only briefly mentioned by mainstream media and education. Oftentimes, it is only small groups of archaeologists, historians, and scientists who have the privilege and opportunity to discover the hundreds of other groups of people the world over who lived hundreds and thousands of years ago. This book then serves as a starting point for anyone wanting to venture through the mists of time to explore lesser-known ancient civilisations and cultures that have long been overlooked or marginalised. With each chapter, we will explore a new group of ancient peoples. We will traverse both continents and millennia. From the fertile river valleys of Mesopotamia, to the remote islands of the Pacific. From the frozen tundra of North America, to the windswept plains of Central Asia. Like today, each culture is as distinct as the next, but with similarities that I hope will remind us all that no one was ever isolated from the rest of the world. All cultures are enhanced through connection, sharing, borrowing, and transforming bits and pieces from their predecessors and contemporaries. Excerpted from The Other Ancient Civilizations: Decoding Archaeology's Less Celebrated Cultures by Raven Todd DaSilva All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.