Challenging the stereotypes and myths that typically characterize students' understanding of antiquity, Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations: From Prehistory to 640 CE focuses on continuity and connections, along with cultural diffusion and cultural diversity, to show how history is a cumulative process and that numerous themes recur in different times and places. The text also explores sensitive issues and debates including attitudes toward race, ethnicity, and tolerance; gender issues and roles; slavery; social mobility; religion; political evolution; the nature of government; and imperialism.FEATURES:* "History Laboratory": Concise observations on how historians use different methodologies to interpret historical evidence--including mysterious objects like the "Ice Man" and the Antikythera device--and to debunk pseudoscience* "Historical Controversy": Reflections that explore conflicting modern interpretations of such ancient phenomena as Noah's Flood, "Black Athena," Athenian democracy, and Alexander the Great's character* "A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words": Illustrations of distinctive material artifacts--buildings, frescoes, pots, statues, and more--accompanied by brief essays explaining how nonliterary material can shed light on ancient cultures* "Mysteries of History": Selections that address puzzling and intriguing aspects of the past (i.e., "Cleopatra, The Legend and the Reality")* "In Their Own Words": Extended quotations (from literary or epigraphical texts) that exemplify each chapter's main themes and show how various types of written documents can help students learn about history* Stunning Interior Design: More than 200 maps and illustrations--including an eight-page color portfolio--offer the richest and most pedagogical art program of any comparable text available* Image Image Bank CD containing more than 100 PowerPoint-based slides and approximately forty maps, organized to accompany the text. Available to adopters of the text.