With dozens of entries describing the history of ancient civilizations and the landscapes in which they thrived, this new reference series uses maps, reconstructed artworks, and photographs to provide invaluable information about the great cultures of the past. This book explores the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that was the birthplace of civilization. It witnesses the birth of writing at Ur, the remarkable flowering of Babylon, and the spread of the mighty Persian empire. Book jacket.