Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies Resources

Covering ancient Asia from the Jomon culture in Japan in approximately 11,000 BCE through to the Cambodian empires that lasted until the 15th century, this encyclopedia covers civilizations that have thus far been treated only marginally in English literature.

The four-volume "Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Ancient World" offers comprehensive coverage of the ancient world, from prehistory to the fall of Rome, including Western and non-Western cultures and civilizations. The 69 signed entries - including 14 on "major" topics with more in-depth coverage - provide readers with an overview of the various ways in which people lived in the past.Each entry explores a specific topic across the entire world, beginning with an introduction that outlines the major developments in chronological sequence, followed by subsections on the following centers of civilization: Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Greece, Rome, and the Americas.

Exploring the period of transition from medieval to modern times, Encyclopedia of the Renaissance and the Reformation, Revised Edition covers all aspects of the European Renaissance and Reformation, from visual arts and architecture to philosophy, religion, and politics. In some 2,100 A-to-Z entries, this comprehensive reference provides detailed information on three centuries that have defined the shape of modern Western civilization. The scope of this encyclopedia is the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, during which time the pivotal events of the Renaissance and Reformation occurred, irrevocably changing the future's course. as well as general interest topics such as the role of women, drawing, families, food and cookery, literacy, libraries, and travel.

This work is a revealing combination of biographies and topical essays that describe the outstanding and often-overlooked contributions of women to the science, politics, and culture of the Renaissance. Over 135 biographical entries covering the extraordinary women who made significant contributions to the art, science, culture, religion, and philosophy of the Renaissance. Over 100 expert contributors, drawn from a range of scholarly disciplines. An extensive index that makes it easy to follow thematic threads across the portrayals of different women.

The period we know as the Middle Ages, roughly the years 400-1400, saw the formation of ideas and institutions that mark modern societies. Developments as disparate as the foundation of Islam and the emergence of the middle class occurred during this pivotal millennium. Although historical study of the Middle Ages has traditionally focused on Western Europe, modern historians recognize the complex global nature of this era. For all major world regions, this three-volume work offers in-depth essays on broad themes, short entries on specific topics, and carefully selected primary documents to help readers more fully understand this critically important period.

Medieval Islamic Civilizationexamines the socio-cultural history of the regions where Islam took hold between the seventh and sixteenth century. This important two-volume work contains over 700 alphabetically arranged entries, contributed and signed by international scholars and experts in fields such as Arabic languages, Arabic literature, architecture, art history, history, history of science, Islamic arts, Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies, Near Eastern studies, politics, religion, Semitic studies, theology, and more.