Mesopotamia: Iraq in Ancient Times
- Book Review,
by Peter Crisp
From Booklist
Reviewed with Jon Malam's Ancient Greece.Gr. 4-7. Titles in the new Picturing the Past series use specific objects and artifacts to bring ancient cultures up close. In mesopotamia, for example, small photos featuring carved seals, a silver boat, and a stone grinding tool are used to explain Mesopotamian writing, trade, and domestic work, respectively. Greece touches on such topics as ancient Greek religion, sport, theater, and government, each one introduced with an accompanying image of painted pottery, a statue, or photos of the present-day ruins of ancient structures. In formats reminiscent of, but not quite as attractive as, the familiar DK template, the spreads combine text boxes with numerous color images and artist renderings that will attract browsers and young researchers alike. Numerous Web links and sidebars expand on the text, and a time line, a glossary, and suggestions for further information (including DVDs, videos, and CD-ROMs) close each picture-book-size volume. Brief but substantive, these attractive titles will spark students' curiosity about the specifics of ancient life and the importance of archaeology. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
First cultivated by the Sumerians, who were replaced by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, Mesopotamia is commonly known as the cradle of civilization, for it was there that the first cities and monumental temples were built, and there too that writing, schools, libraries, written law codes, mathematics and astronomy developed. Today this land is known as Iraq.
Beginning with irrigation and the formation of cities, Mesopotamia: Iraq in Ancient Times covers such topics as farming, writing, craft, trade, domestic life, religion, warfare, burial, kingship and law. Using artifacts, such as a vase or a cuneiform tablet, geographical sites, and archaeological evidence, this book looks at the past in a new and exciting way. It does this by showing in simple graphic terms how ancient buildings and objects were actually used, and by providing examples of numerous everyday objects.
Each two-page spread covers a different topic. text, photographs, illustrations, archaeology information boxes and time-lines are used to great affect. Captions and diagramming also are used to relate the different elements of the presentation, and each spread contains a link to an authoritative website for further information. A chronology of political and social history, as well as a glossary and index are included.
Informative and amply illustrated, Mesopotamia: Iraq in Ancient Times is sure to prove of great interest, particularly at this time, in the aftermath of war and the looting of the Iraqi National Museum, which housed many of the oldest artifacts of Western Civilization.
The Picturing the Past Series:
How do we know what we know about ancient peoples and their cultures that have disappeared? Ultimately, there are three main sources of information: the images that survive in wall paintings, ceramics and sculptures; artifacts, such a jewelry, utensils, toys, clothing, and tools; and the writings of ancient authors that have survived the ravages of time. From such sources, it is possible to begin to reconstruct the life of the distant past with an astonishing degree of accuracy.
About the Author
Peter Chrisp studied English Literature at Sussex University and London University, where he also taught before becoming a full-time writer. He specializes in history books for children, and has written more than seventy, including Ancient Egypt; Christopher Columbus: Admiral of the Ocean Sea; and Welcome to the Globe: The Story of Shakespeare’s Theater.
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