Ancient West Asian Civilization: Geoenvironment and Society in the Pre-Islamic Middle East

Front Matter....Pages i-viii
Introduction: The Aim of Study of Ancient West Asian Civilization ....Pages 1-11
Front Matter....Pages 13-13
Geology Based Culture?....Pages 15-38
A Brief Review of the Geology of West Asia....Pages 39-50
Paleoclimatic Changes and Human Cultural Evolution in West Asia....Pages 51-63
Earthquake Activity in West Asia: Seismicity in the Mediterranean Sea and Evaluation of the Strong Motion for the AD 365 Crete Earthquake Using the Stochastic Green’s Function....Pages 65-83
Front Matter....Pages 85-85
The Origins of Agriculture....Pages 87-98
The “Commodification” of Animals....Pages 99-113
The Beginnings of Metal Use in West Asia....Pages 115-130
Front Matter....Pages 131-131
The Birth of Cities in Ancient West Asia....Pages 133-147
The Invention of Cuneiform and the Dawn of the Modern World....Pages 149-156
The World’s Oldest Writing in Mesopotamia and the Japanese Writing System....Pages 157-163
Ancient Mesopotamian Gods: Mythology, Cult, and Scripture....Pages 165-176
Front Matter....Pages 177-177
Do Archaeological and Conservation Sciences Save Cultural Heritage?: Cultural Identity and Reviving Values After Demolishment....Pages 179-197
Conservation and Archaeological Science for the Protection and Understanding of Ancient Craftsmanship in Cultural Heritage....Pages 199-217
Front Matter....Pages 219-219
Some Observations and Future Directions....Pages 221-228
Back Matter....Pages 229-230