The Atlas of Early Man

by Jacquetta Hawkes

The Atlas of Early Man is a unique, and uniquely fascinating, work of popular natural history. For nearly two decades, it has been the definitive survey of the human developments that were the building blocks of scores of different civilizations, offering the kind of irresistible blend of history, science, and cultural study that will capture the interest and imagination of almost any reader.Now, in the first new edition since 1981, Jacquetta Hawkes's landmark volume is at last available in paperback. It is a book that fills in the gaps in our overall understanding of the ancient Through one thousand maps, diagrams, drawings, and illustrations, it compares the cultures of historical contemporaries, placing simultaneous developments in art, religion, technology, science, architecture, and government in graphic perspective. What was happening in China when the pyramids were being built in Egypt? What had been achieved in the Americas when wheeled vehicles first rolled across Sumeria? What point of progress had been reached in Western Europe when the Roman Empire was at its height? Hawkes's eloquent and comprehensive text brings these worlds alive for us, not just as historical entities but as living, thriving civilizations. Did the advances of man occur independently across the oceans and continents, or were they the results of a spreading influence? The provocative clarity of Hawkes's treatment enables us to draw our own conclusions to such questions-and dispels the clouds that have been so long blocked our view of early history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Maps

Paperback

First published October 14, 1976

About the author

Jacquetta Hawkes OBE FBA (5 August 1910 – 18 March 1996) was an English archaeologist and writer. She was the first woman to study the Archaeology & Anthropology degree course at the University of Cambridge. A specialist in prehistoric archaeology, she excavated Neanderthal remains at the Palaeolithic site of Mount Carmel with Yusra and Dorothy Garrod. She was a representative for the UK at UNESCO, and was curator of the "People of Britain" pavilion at the Festival of Britain.

Her second husband was J.B. Priestley.

Reviews

[Jaide · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been looking for something like this for ages! I’m a prehistory nut, and finding this was a dorky dream come true—the book is a side-by-side, simultaneous timeline of worldwide prehistory, which for some reason has always been ridiculously hard to find.

4/5 only because the book is dated and I wasn’t sure if there were any recent discoveries that would nullify certain facts.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides]

Not at all sure that I actually read this. (Or that it actually has maps.) Dates approximate.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love footnotes and I love informative pictures/illustrations; Jacquetta Hopkins Hawkes The Atlas of Early Man is essentially an entire book of these things. A global survey of human/social development from 50,000 BC up through 500 AD, it is filled with photos of cultural treasures the world over in their respective time periods (e.g. Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age). A fantastic resource for those interested in the diffusion theory of human cultural/technological development.