Discover the comprehensive history of Egypt and Western Asia with The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East. This five-volume series covers the emergence of complex states to the conquest of Alexander the Great. Volume I focuses on the earliest dynasties and territorial states in the ancient Near East, including the rise of the Old Kingdom in Egypt and the Dynasty of Akkad in Mesopotamia. The book examines politics, ideology, religion, art, crafts, economy, military developments, and the built environment, providing a thoughtful and robust survey of the populations that laid the foundation for all future developments in the ancient Near East.