Summary
Civilizations: A History of the World in 1000 Objects
There is a special magic in the survival of human objects from the past. A piece of jewelry, a cup, a sword or a sandal that, often completely by chance, has survived the general tide of oblivion, as if to a certain extent it bridges the gap of years that separates us from the world of our ancestors - whether they were the inhabitants of ancient Egypt or the Roman Empire, the Aztecs of Mexico or the Japanese samurai. A collection of such objects can vividly represent a long-lost civilization, its daily life, art and culture, ways of warfare and trade, rituals and beliefs. Numerous objects have come down to us from ancient times through rituals associated with death. Our knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, for example, would be much worse if they had not used to bury personal belongings with the dead. The beautiful decorations and furnishing of palaces and places of worship are another rich source of preserved objects. We must also be grateful for the desire of people to record the important events of their time, which gave us Trajan's Column in Rome and the Norman Bayeux Tapestry. Some objects were made to celebrate heroes or gods, such as statues in ancient Greece and Rome. Collected in this book, objects from all periods create an impressive, comprehensive picture of human history and its development from stone tools to space flights. They also take us on a breathtaking journey through all the stages of human adventure.
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