Palmyra: A History examines Palmyra, the city in the Syrian oasis of Tadmor, from its beginnings in the Bronze Age, through the classical period and its discovery and excavation, to the present day. It aims at reconstructing Palmyra s past from literary accounts classical and post-classical as well as material evidence of all kinds: inscriptions, coins, art and of course the remains of Palmyra s monumental architecture.

After exploring the earliest inhabitation of Tadmor, the volume moves through the Persian and Hellenistic periods, to the city s zenith under Rome, when of all cities in...

Aleppo is one of the longest-surviving cities of the ancient and Islamic Middle East. Until recently it enjoyed a thriving urban life in particular an active traditional suq, whose origins can be traced across many centuries. Its tangle of streets still follow the Hellenistic grid and above it looms the great Citadel, which contains recently-uncovered remains of a Bronze/Iron Age temple complex, suggesting an even earlier role as a high place in the Canaanite tradition.

In the Arab Middle Ages, Aleppo was a strongpoint of the Islamic resistance to the Crusader presence. Its...

Elis examines the city of Elis from its earliest history, through the Archaic period and the Classical period where it reached its zenith, to its decline in the Hellenistic, Roman and later periods. Through examining this prominent city-state, its role in contemporary politics and the place of Olympia in its territory, Graeme Bourke allows the reader to explore broader issues, such as the relationship between the Spartans and their various allies, often collectively referred to as the Peloponnesian League, the connection between political structures and Panhellenic sanctuaries,...

Thebes offers a scholarly survey of the history and archaeology of the city. Discussions of major developments in politics, war, society and culture form the basis of a chronological examination of one of Greece s most powerful and dynamic cities. By taking a broad view, the book s account speaks to larger trends in the ancient Mediterranean world while also demonstrating how Thebes was unique in its ancient context. It provides an up-to-date examination of all available information: topographic, demographic, numismatic, epigraphic, archaeological and textual discussions provide...

Carlisle charts the city's emergence as an urban centre under the Romans and traces its vicissitudes over subsequent centuries until the high Middle Ages. Arguably, the most important theme that differentiates its development from many other towns is its position as a 'border' city.　The characteristics of the landscape surrounding Carlisle gave it special significance as a front-line element in the defence of the Roman province of Britannia and later at the frontier of two emerging kingdoms, England and Scotland. In both cases it occupied the only overland route in the west...