Summary
Title: "Introduction to Ancient History" (Translation). This book argues that history is a science and that by studying antiquity as the object of scientific investigation, the historian can arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of this time period. The author lays out a methodology for the study of antiquity and lists specific features of ancient cultures that might be studied scientifically, which include: tribal social formation, distributive social formation, and free exchange and social formation. The author also discusses the changing relationship between humanity and nature, a group's tendency to maintain a sense of identity, and an individual's tendency to maintain a sense of identity separate from that of the groups to which he or she belongs. Key terms. Periods: Ancient--Forms: History