Las antiguas civilizaciones (Look at Ancient Civilizations)

China is unique among the four great ancient civilizations in that it has changed very little over the millennia. Unlike India, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, China's impassable mountains and vast deserts protected China from invasion. Free from foreign interference, China's great dynasties, like the Qin and the Han, flourished. Many of the things we associate with modern China, like the Great Wall, expensive silks, and beautiful calligraphy, all date to ancient times. Help your struggling readers better understand ancient history with this accessible text. Full-color photographs, maps, and a timeline of important events provide additional context.

India is considered one of the great ancient civilizations of the Old World. From the earliest settlements along the Indus River to the golden age of the Gupta Empire, the cultural contributions of ancient India are an important component of the human story. Readers will travel back in time and witness how religion, art, and literature helped craft the India we know today. Maps, full-color photographs, and biographies of important historical figures will enhance the reading experience and engage reluctant and struggling readers.

Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern-day Iraq, the region known as Mesopotamia, Greek for "between two rivers," is often called the "cradle of civilization." The region is known for the rise of the first cities, as well as the invention of writing. Readers will discover that the various empires of the region, like Babylon and Sumer, made many important contributions to law, politics, mathematics, and agriculture. Simple text and full-color photographs will engage struggling and reluctant readers alike. Maps and a timeline of key dates provide additional information.

All roads lead to Rome. Or they did. What had started as a small town on the Tiber River in central Italy would eventually grow to become a vast empire covering most of the known world, including England, western Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Although the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century, many of its accomplishments live on in our modern world. Readers will learn about the advancements Rome made in politics, architecture, law, and the arts. Accessible text is paired with full-color photographs, maps, and biographies of important historical figures.

From art and architecture to politics, philosophy, and mathematics, "western civilization" owes a great deal to the achievements of ancient Greece, but what do we really know about this long-gone civilization? How did geography influence the politics of the Greek city-states? What's the difference between an agora and an acropolis? This book takes readers several thousand years into the past, when independent city-states ruled the Mediterranean Sea, to find the answers. Full-color photographs and maps, accompanied by accessible text, introduce readers to the many contributions the ancient Greeks have made to our modern society.

How were the Great Pyramids built? Why were certain people turned into mummies? Readers journey down the Nile River into the heart of ancient Egypt and find out the answers. From the magnificent temples to the mysterious Sphinx, ancient Egypt has fascinated professional and amateur historians for centuries. Accessible text and full-color photographs guide readers through the rise and fall of one of the world's earliest civilizations. Maps, biographies of key figures, and a timeline of important dates support the text and provide additional information.