The Human Past has established itself as the most thorough and authoritative introductory survey of human prehistory and the development of civilizations around the globe, adopted by colleges and universities worldwide. With a clear and logical framework, and written by an international team of 24 acknowledged experts, this unique textbook provides a comprehensive overview of world prehistory through a series of chapters focusing on individual regions and time periods that presents the vast panorama of human social, cultural and economic development over the past three million years. This new edition has been completely revised and updated, with more colour illustrations, to take account of new discoveries and developments, including what the analysis of ancient DNA tells us about our evolution; the latest theories about the domestication of key plants and animals, including rice and maize; and new thinking on the earliest Paleoindian hunting strategies.