Title: The Other Ancient Civilisations: Decoding Archaeology’s Less Celebrated CulturesAuthor: Raven Todd DaSilva
Publication: October 29, 2024 by Mango
Genre: Nonfiction, Ancient History, Archaeology
Find it on: Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | Waterstones
Rating: 4/5★
Discover Other Civilisations and Cultures With Rich and Unique Histories
Journey through 15,000 years of history and discover fascinating ancient civilisations and cultures that may have been overlooked in history class with Raven Todd DaSilva, award-winning scholar, archaeologist, and creator of the popular archaeology online educational platform Dig it With Raven.
#1 Best Seller in Mayan History
Lesser-known ancient civilisations and cultures. Go beyond the popular stories of Greece, Rome, Egypt, the Inca and the Maya, and uncover the rich diversity of people that are often overlooked. From the world’s first peace treaty to daring expeditions across the Pacific, learn about 20 ancient and historic cultures from around the world that have had monumental impacts on our modern world.
A more nuanced look at the ancient world. The Other Ancient Civilisations looks outside mainstream ancient civilisations and cultures and delves into astounding finds unearthed at archaeological sites around the world. Discover the archaeology that sheds light on the secret stories of the Nubians, Olmec, Xiongnu, Minoans, Akkadians, and many more. Each chapter delves beyond the rise and fall of each society, highlighting the lives of everyday peoples of the past. Discover who they interacted with and how they lived, and what we can learn from them.
How archaeologists decode ancient cultures from what they left behind. Packed with summaries of current archaeological evidence, detailed maps and striking images of astounding artefacts and archaeological sites, The Other Ancient Civilisations is an indispensable collection of fascinating stories and facts that have helped archaeologists change the way we understand history.
Inside discover:
A more in-depth understanding of lesser-know ancient cultures from around the world
An appreciation for the people who lived during these times and in these cultures—not just the great rulers and the monumental buildings left behind
A realization that ancient people were not that different from who we are todayIf you’ve read books such as The Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World, The Lost World of The Old Ones, or 1177 B.C., you’ll love Raven’s The Other Ancient Civilizations.
The Other Ancient Civilisations is a must-read for ancient history fans. It’s the perfect introduction to civilizations that get overshadowed by the more popular ones like ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, etc.This book has no less than twenty cultures from the ancient world to learn about, as well as maps and photographs of stunning artefacts. The maps and photographs are all in color even, which I was really amazed by because not all nonfiction books of this kind have maps, illustrations or photographs that are in color. I was definitely a fan!
I love these kind of books and the fact that it was about ancient civilizations that don’t get talked about that often made me buy it as soon as I could. I also didn’t hesitate to start reading it, even though it wasn’t in my original TBR for November. The cultures the author talked about in the book spanned all over the globe and was a great variety. Did I want some chapters to be a little bit longer? Sure. Butin the end I can’t complain because so many civlizations were talked about. Way more than I thought there’d be.
My favorite chapters of civilizations that were new to me were: chapter two: Dilmun, chapter eight: Lapita, chapter eighteen: Thule and chapter nineteen: Únětice. Of course it goes without saying that all chapters were really great and fascinating but those stood out to me the most. And I absolutely need a deep dive into them all now. I also loved that the book was very much about the regular people of these societies, which is something I feel drawn to more and more lately. Raven Todd DaSilva did an amazing job at spotlighting them at the start of every chapter.
The writing, unsurprisingly, was also excellent. It was an easy to read book that flowed well, making the book very much a page-turner that I finished in no time. Also, I wasn’t initially familiar with the author’s YouTube ‘Dig It With Raven’ but I’ll have to go binge her videos for sure now. After reading her book I definitely want more!
About the author:
Raven Todd DaSilva is an award-winning scholar, archaeologist and art conservator. She has worked on archaeological projects in Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Oman and Turkey, and specialises in the Neolithic period of Southwest Asia. Holding multiple degrees in Classical and Near and Middle Eastern civilisations, heritage, and art conservation and restoration, she has dedicated her life to the study and dissemination of the ancient world.In 2017, Raven built an online platform entitled Dig it With Raven, dedicated to making the ancient past accessible for everyone. As a result of growing this community, she has had the privilege of being featured on and working with notable institutions such as English Heritage and National Geographic. Raven has also been an expert presenter at universities, and has appeared on television, multiple podcasts and science communication platforms. She currently resides in London.
I love when authors explore the lesser known things in their field, and I’m glad this introduced you to some new cultures. Although I’m actually shocked there are ancient cultures you don’t know about!
Hahaha I think I knew about half of the cultures so I learned a lot!
It’s really mind-boggling to think about how vast our Earth’s history is and how many people have come and gone. Even if we don’t know a lot about these other cultures, it’s good that we can learn about them.
It’s crazy!
Definitely and interesting book from my point of view. It is always good when someone looks at the lesser known historical events. I am especially interested in Thule. I will go look for her youtube channel, sounds like it would be interesting.
Love that this one explores lesser known ancient civilizations!