A History of Syria in One Hundred Sites

This book presents the long history of Syria by means of a journey through its most important and most recently-excavated archaeological sites. Syria was a principal arena for development in early human history as demonstrated there by the immigration of modern humans, the beginning of agriculture, and the emergence of urbanism. Subsequently, Syria became a critical corridor for interaction between great political powers and empires: Akkadian, Babylonian, Pharaonic Egypt, Hittite, Assyrian, Achaemenid, Hellenistic, Parthian, and Roman. It seems that Syria was regularly conquered by these political powers, however it usually integrated new influences by means of its cultural adaptability. Many innovative technologies and ideas, such as metallurgy, glass working, viticulture, and indeed alphabets, were developed within the Syrian cultural sphere.