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Synopsis This book is a general introduction to early social formations. It traces the historical evolution of societies from the origins of humankind to the decline of the Roman empire and rise of Islam. The main focus of the work is on Europe, West Asia and Egypt. The themes discussed in it include beginnings of food production, emergence of bronze age societies, ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations, Greco-Roman antiquity, slave mode of production, and the Islamic world down to the Mongol invasions. Although there is a vast literature on the subject, the need has long been felt for a concise single-volume survey of the kind which is presented here. The book has been designed specially to meet the requirements of university students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. However it incorporates a wide range of fascinating information, including recent debates, which will appeal to the general reader as well.