Imagine living in a world where people paid their taxes with chocolate (Aztecs), where schoolchildren wrote their lessons on clay tablets instead of paper (Sumer), or where you could be killed for stepping on your chief's shadow (Polynesia). These are just a few of the civilizations explored in this compelling and beautifully illustrated atlas.The Atlas of Ancient Worlds is divided into six geographical sections, giving comprehensive coverage of the world's first societies and cultures. The first section looks at the early Middle East, where the cities of Sumer and Assyria developed. The second focuses on Africa, opening with the pyramids and palaces along the River Nile. The third section looks at Europe from the heroic age of Greece to the military might of the Roman Empire. The next covers Asia including India, the glittering cities of China, and Japan in the age of the Samurai. The fifth section journeys to the colourful kingdoms of the Aztecs and the Maya, the empire of the Incas, and the cliff dwellers of North America. Finally, the Oceania section follows the Polynesian seafarers, warlike Maoris, and the aboriginal people of Australia.