For an introductory level survey of world history, from Human Origins to approximately 1700. The unique heritage of world civilizations, and their great religious and philosophical traditions. Written by leading scholars in their respective fields, The Heritage of World Civilizations offers compelling and thorough coverage of the unique heritage of Asian, African, Middle Eastern, European, and American civilizations, while highlighting the role of the world's great religious and philosophical traditions. This comprehensive yet accessible survey of world history has been extensively revised to provide an even more global and comparative perspective on the events and processes that have shaped our increasingly interdependent world.