Discovering the Ancient Past: A Look at the Evidence

by Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, William Bruce Wheeler, Franklin M. Doeringer

Incorporating the latest scholarship, this upper-level ancient history text guides students through the process of historical inquiry and exploration. Covering topics ranging from the need for water in ancient societies to the problem of ancient suicide, this narrative presents a balanced, cultural approach within a chronicle of historical events and evidence, thereby promoting critical thinking, sharpening analytical skills, and building student interest. This text offers a unique, multi-part pedagogical framework. Each chapter is organized by "The Problem," "Sources and Method," "The Evidence," "Questions to Consider," and the "Epilogue." Diverse primary source materials include documents, maps, art, city plans, and statistical data. At the end of each chapter, the central theme, or "problem," is tied to contemporary issues.

Paperback

First published January 12, 2004

About the author

Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) taught first at Augustana College in Illinois, and since 1985 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she is currently UWM Distinguished Professor in the department of history. She is the coeditor of the Sixteenth Century Journal and the author or editor of more than twenty books, most recently The Marvelous Hairy Girls: The Gonzales Sisters and Their Worlds and Gender in History. She is the former Chief Reader for Advanced Placement World History.