
Human Prehistory and the First Civilizations
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Narrated by:
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Brian M. Fagan
Where do we come from? How did our ancestors settle this planet? How did the great historic civilizations of the world develop? How does a past so shadowy that it has to be painstakingly reconstructed from fragmentary, largely unwritten records nonetheless make us who and what we are?
These 36 lectures bring you the answers that the latest scientific and archaeological research and theorizing suggest about human origins, how populations developed, and the ways in which civilizations spread throughout the globe. It's a narrative of the story of human origins and the many ties that still bind us deeply to the world before writing. And it's a world tour of prehistory with profound links to who we are and how we live today.
Woven through this narrative is a set of pervasive themes: emerging human biological and cultural diversity (as well as our remarkable similarities across surprising expanses of time and space); the impact of human adaptations to climatic and environmental change; and the importance of seeing prehistory not merely as a chronicle of archaeological sites and artifacts, but of people behaving with the extraordinary intellectual, spiritual, and emotional dynamism that distinguish the human. Among the corners of our mysterious past you'll explore: human prehistory from Australopithecus africanus through Homo habilis and Homo erectus; the beginnings of agriculture and animal domestication; theories behind the appearance of urban civilization and overall attributes of preindustrial civilizations; the maritime trading revolutions in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia; and much more.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2003 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2003 The Great CoursesListeners also enjoyed...




















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In addition, Professor Fagan discusses how human societies across time and space have solved our common problems of survival in similar ways and also how they have significantly differed. He clearly states at the beginning of the series what he will address and comments at the end on some of the significant insights to be gleaned from this broad scope of early human development.
I find a good, well-organized survey very useful in better understanding more detailed and focused discussions of the specific events and people that preceded us. This lecture series did a fine job of providing that perspective.
Provides a Broad Perspective
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A Lot of Ground to Cover
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Never has gone wrong with The Great Courses.
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Just what I had hoped for
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Fascinating
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Postives- Fagan is clearly very passionate about his subject and his enthusiasm is infectious. I am a huge fan of his phrase 'how do we know this?' followed by an explanation of how researchers come to these conclusion, it is a very helpful way of explaining things.
Overall well woth listening to, Fagan did a great job, but The Teaching Company could have improved it by editing.
Great content, okay delivery
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powerfully moving
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Prosperity
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Dr Fagan has a concise, lucid style. He is an excellent educator and I would recommend him to anyone looking for a broader scope on early civilizations.
Prehistory out of date
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Very intriguing right up until current times.
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