Mountains and Lowlands: Ancient Iran and Mesopotamia

The author is the Jaleh Hearn Curator for Ancient Near East in the Antiquities Department of the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, as well as holding other professional qualifications which make him extremely well suited to author this book, which uses the wonderful collection of the Ashmolean Museum, as well as many other photos and objects, to illustrate a rich historical journey. The book covers the history of Ancient Iran and Mesopotamia, focusing largely on the lowlands of Mesopotamia and the highlands of Iran; the length and breadth of the Zagros Mountains and the surrounding areas, and shifting cultures around those areas.After a brief introduction to set the scene, there are four main chapters:From village to city: 6000 – 3000 BCFrom city to Kingdom: 3000 – 1500 BCFrom Kingdom to Empire: 1500 – 500 BCFrom India to Egypt: 500 BC – AD 650This is a book which covers a large geographical area as well as a long chronological period, so it is, by its very nature, dense in information. But it is a book which enthrals the reader, as well as offering a hugely interesting narrative on a vital part of history, which is often hard to find both scholarly and comprehensively presented in English.I think someone entirely new to the period and the times, the people and the cultures presented in the book may find it requires very close study, but it is a book which certainly repays that study. A most engaging read, written very clearly and informatively, this book is illustrated beautifully throughout, and is most highly recommended.

Excellent account of the interaction of Mesopotamia with the what is now modern-day Iran, demonstrating the close connections between the two areas of civilization.

Interesting book on this subject..

Wonderful Book. Very well-written and fascinating presentation of the ancient world, in particular Iran and Iraq. Very happy I purchased this.

Thanks.

This book from the Ashmolean museum promised a wide-and-deep view of ancient Iran and Iraq's history and culture, and delivered it to some extent. But I had hoped for more. The history part was more detailed than insightful, and the cultural part was mostly a lot of undercontextualized art images - some familiar, some not - from the Ashmolean and other collections. I was looking for deeper connections between the art and the history, the mountains and the plains, but didn't find it.