The Revolutions of Civilisation (Cambridge Library Collection - Egyptology) - Softcover

Petrie, William Matthew Flinders

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1108065813 ISBN 13: 9781108065818

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2013

Synopsis

Among the leading Egyptologists of his day, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. This short yet well-illustrated work, first published in 1911, sketches humankind's achievements over 10,000 years, establishing patterns in the rise and fall of civilisations. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of ancient Egypt, and looking also at Greece, Rome and beyond, Petrie defines each civilisation as having a summer of growth and a winter of decline, revealing his controversial eugenic view that while migration can initially reinvigorate a society, the mixing of peoples over time leads ultimately to that society's deterioration. Correlating developments in the production of art and material culture in different places, Petrie argues that civilisation is not a continuous state, but intermittent and recurrent. Many of his other publications - for both Egyptologists and non-specialists - are also reissued in this series.

About this title

Book Description

Published by pioneering archaeologist Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) in 1911, this short, well-illustrated work sketches the rise and fall of civilisations across ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and beyond. Correlating cultural developments in different places, the book gives an insight into Petrie's controversial beliefs about social evolution and decline.

About the Author

W. M. Flinders Petrie, who excavated some 3000 graves in 1898-99, is regarded as the father of modern archaeology.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1108065813
• ISBN 13: 9781108065818
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 126