Summary
Exploration in the World of the Ancients, Revised Edition examines who the first explorers were and defines the geographic areas of Earth, showing when and how they were first populated by humans. Among Western historians, this period is considered to begin with the first writing systems, which would be about 3500 or 3000 BCE, and end about 500 CE. This book examines some of the earliest accounts of Egyptian and Mesopotamian explorations, as well as covering the Romans, Greeks, Phoenicians, and other ancient peoples. It concludes at the beginning of the Middle Ages, when much of Earth's lands and seas were "known," but many civilizations remained unknown to one another.
Coverage includes:
- The first watercraft
- Herodotus's travels and his history of the world until his time
- The lighthouse and library of Alexandria
- Alexander the Great's accomplishments as a warrior and an explorer
- China's and Japan's roles in exploration, including the spread of Buddhism.