Bringing together for the first time disparate evidence from the fields of archaeology, ancient history and anthropology, Richard Rudgley shows the achievements, inventions and discoveries of prehistoric times have all but been edited out of popular accounts of the human story. The rise of civilisation 5, 000 years ago has often been portrayed as if it were somehow created out of nothing but the author describes how the explorers of the stone age discovered all the world`s major land masses; how writing can be traced back via Neolithic systems of accounting to its Palaeolithic origins, and how mathematical and astronomical science and technological and industrial activities such as tool-making and pyrotechnics all date back to the stone age, as do many significant medical practices including cranial surgery. Lost Civilisations of the Stone Age brings into question many assumptions about our own cultural superiority, and argues that prehistoric life was in many ways more advanced than our own. (19990304)
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* `Wonderful reading. . . illuminating. . . a zest for discovery that makes it a page-turner' NATURE (19990304)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
This is a really well written and stimulating book. It looks at a variety of aspects of civilisation: language, writing, pottery, surgery and so on. What he shows is that evidence for these goes back a long way before the conventional view of the beginning of civilisation. The book shows an excellent knowledge of a wide range of recent archeological evidence from around the world. He shows how the achievements of the early Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilisations did not come from nowhere, but were the end of a gradual processes of cultural development thta had been occuring for 10s and even 100 of thousands of years. I found some of this really eye opening (particularly the evidence on languages and writing.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Though one of the unconventional books on archeaology, it is not so outlandish that no 'conventional' archeologist can accept it. In fact the book does mention that archeaologists in the conventional field are divided on when civilisation began.
The book argues that civilisation didn't begin overnight but rather developed gradually along with evolution of humans and that what has 'been started' by other type of humans/hominids was to continue by modern humans when they appeared later.
While those who describe these 'unconventional' views as 'fantasy', others may see the logic of it. I'm one of them. To me, the view of 'suddeness' is fantasy unless we were visited by exterrestial beings who taught us 'civilisation' which in my opinion did not happen.
I found the book a bit boring in parts but only because the author seems to go into minute detail. Others may prefer this style of writing so it's a matter of personal choice.
I'd recommend the book to anyone interested in archaeology, especially on the subject prehistory.
By Jason
I found this book fascinating. Richard Rudgley's basic contention is that we give prehistoric people far less credit than they deserve, that many of the hallmarks of what we were called 'civilisation' were foreshadowed in the Mesolithic and even the Upper Paelolithic, and that the view of civilisation spreading from the Near East to a backward Europe is simplistic at best, and most likely wrong.
You may not agree with his views, and it will be interesting to see in future what evidence is found to support them. However his interpretation is based on existing evidence, if nothing else, this book gives excellent food for thought.
I would give this 3.5 Stars if I could. Read around the subject, but include this as one of the books to read.
You may not agree with his views, and it will be interesting to see in future what evidence is found to support them. However his interpretation is based on existing evidence, if nothing else, this book gives excellent food for thought.
I would give this 3.5 Stars if I could. Read around the subject, but include this as one of the books to read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
fascinating, if flawed
The author mostly succeeds in establishing that the roots of human achievement in many cases go back much further than is often assumed into what is generally known as prehistory. Read more
Published on 30 April 2011 by John Hopper
5.0 out of 5 stars
The unknown past
By bringing together evidence from archaeology, ancient history, linguistics and anthropology, the author argues that the inventions, achievements and discoveries of prehistoric... Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2008 by Pieter Uys
1.0 out of 5 stars
Rudgley relies heavily on linguistics but misuses it
Rudgley's book cannot be taken seriously as an attempt to re-write pre-history. His argument is confused at the outset by his failure to define 'civilisation' and his apparent... Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2001
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