This work takes advantage of the advances made in recent years in visualizing and analyzing ancient sites and buildings. The computerized reconstructions seen throughout come from laboratories worldwide, including many which have been specially commissioned; together with the hundreds of full-colour maps, diagrams and photographs, they provide a window on the ancient world. This global survey is organized regionally and chronologically, ranging from ancient Egypt to the Americas, from Europe's first settlement, 700,000 years ago, to the China of Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler in the 13th century. Philip of Macedon's tomb, China's terracotta army and the Moche gold tomb at Sipan in Peru are all given full coverage, as are famous cities, from ancient Rome and classical Athens to Teotihuacan and the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, in Mexico. Many of the essays are informed by the insights of the excavators themselves, including Rainer Stadelmann on the pyramids and Paolo Matthiae on the ancient city of Ebla. This is both a survey of ancient civilizations and a guide to the major discoveries of our time.