Europe Between the Oceans : 9000 BC to AD 1000

by Barry Cunliffe

• ISBN13: 9780300119237
• ISBN10: 0300119232
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2008-09-02
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

Europe is, in world terms, a relatively minor peninsula attached to the Eurasian land mass. Yet it became one of the most innovative regions on the planet, generating restless adventurers who traversed the globe to trade, to explore, and often to settle. By the fifteenth century Europe was a driving world force, but the origins of its success have until now remained obscured in prehistory. In this magnificent book, distinguished archaeologist Barry Cunliffe views Europe not in terms of states and shifting political land boundaries but as a geographical niche particularly favored in facing many seas. These seas, and Europe's great transpeninsular rivers, ensured a rich diversity of natural resources while also encouraging the dynamic interaction of peoples across networks of communication and exchange. The development of these early Europeans is rooted in complex interplays, shifting balances, and geographic and demographic fluidity. Weaving together titanic concepts while remaining sensitive to specifics, Cunliffe has produced an interdisciplinary tour de force. His is a bold book of exceptional scholarship, erudite and engaging, and itheralds an entirely new understanding of Old Europe.

Author Biography

Barry Cunliffe is a leading archaeologist in Europe. He is emeritus professor of European archaeology at the University of Oxford and the author of many books, including The Ancient Celts, Facing the Ocean, and The Extraordinary Voyage of Pytheas the Greek.

Table of Contents

Ways of Seeing: Space, Time and People	p. 1
The Land between the Oceans	p. 31
Food for the Gathering	p. 62
The First Farmers: From the Fertile Crescent to the Danube Valley: 7500-5000 BC	p. 88
Assimilation in the Maritime Regions: 6000-3800 BC	p. 113
Europe in Her Infinite Variety: c.4500-2800 BC	p. 140
Taking to the Sea - Crossing the Peninsula: 2800-1300 BC	p. 179
Emerging Eurozones: 1300-800 BC	p. 229
The Three Hundred Years That Changed the World: 800-500 BC	p. 270
States in Collision: 500-140 BC	p. 317
The Interlude of Empire: 140 BC-AD 300	p. 364
The Turn of the Tide: AD 300-800	p. 407
Europe Rebalanced: A D 800-1000	p. 445
The Longue Duree	p. 475
Further Reading	p. 481
Index	p. 501
Sources of Illustrations	p. 517
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.