The Slavs (Ancient Peoples and Places, Vol. 74) by Marija Gimbutas

Signs inscribed on clay suggest a system of primitive notation, if not writing. Female 'goddess' figurines, found in almost every settlement, have triggered intense debates about the ritual and political power of women.

Pottery, figurines, and even houses were decorated with striking designs. The demand for copper, gold, Aegean shells, and other valuables created networks of negotiation that reached hundreds of kilometers. The metal artifacts recovered by archaeologists from Old Europe total about 4,700 kilograms (more than five tons) of copper, and over 6 kilograms (13.2 pounds) of gold, more metal by far than has been found in any other part of the ancient world dated before 3500 bc. Old European metalsmiths were, in their day, among the most advanced metal artisans in the world, and certainly the most active. Some Old European villages grew to citylike sizes, larger than the earliest cities of Mesopotamia. At its peak, about 5000–3500 bc, Old Europe was developing many of the political, technological, and ideological signs of 'civilization'. In 4500 bc, before the first cities were built in Mesopotamia and Egypt, Old Europe was among the most sophisticated and technologically advanced places in the world. Illustrated with nearly 2,000 symbolic artifacts, Gimbutas' magnum opus is at once a 'pictorial script' of the prehistoric Goddess religion and an authoritative work that takes these ancient cultures from the realm of speculation into that of documented fact.Karanovo culture ceramic vessel, 6th millennium BC, Stara Zagora Neolithic Dwellings Museum She interweaves comparative mythology, early historical sources, linguistics, ethnography, and folklore to demonstrate conclusively that Goddess-worship is at the root of Western civilization. In this pioneering and provocative volume, Marija Gimbutas resurrects the world of the Goddess-worshipping, earth-centered cultures, bringing ancient matriarchal society vividly to life. Fully illustrated with over 500 color photographic plates and in-text representations. 11 inches tall 388 pages with Chronologies, Maps, Glossary, Bibliography, and Index.

The dust jacket with price has modest handling with no tears of chips.

Moderate shelf handling wear with sun fading on the lower edge of the cloth.

The Slavs (Ancient Peoples and Places, Vol. 74) by Marija Gimbutas