Amongst the Ruins: Why Civilizations Collapse and Communities Disappear

by John Darlington

Amongst the Ruins explores the loss of ancient civilizations, the collapse of ruling elites, and the disappearance of more recent communities and their local traditions. Some of these are now sealed under 3,000-year-old peat, others lost to rising seas or sands, and the carcasses of twentieth-century buildings which serve as reminders of the destructive power of war.
 
These compelling stories of fallen or lost places are brought together through themes of war, climate change, natural hazards, human self-destruction, and simple economics. From the ice of the Arctic fringe, through to the desert landscapes of North Africa, by way of South America’s high mountains and Southeast Asia’s urban sprawl, Amongst the Ruins charts the rise and fall of places and communities around the world, the fascinating characters associated with them, and the important events that punctuate their history. Exploring wide-ranging examples from prehistory to the present day, John Darlington challenges us to recognize past failures and identify what we need to do to protect the cultures of our current world.

 

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Archaeology, World History

304 pages, Hardcover

Published April 25, 2023

Reviews

[Robert Muller · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The subtitle misleads, though the title suggests what the book is really about: historical site conservation in the face of all the things that ruin historical sites. It isn't about civilizations (except in passing, and insofar as they leave ruins) or communities, it's about places with a few diversions into what might be called cultural ruins. Kind of a Rick Steves tour of modern conservation archaeology. As such, it's beautifully written and deals with many places I had never heard of that are super interesting. But a deep analysis of social relations across history this is not.

[Kathleen Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly don't know if I can take credit for completely reading this book! I found it at the local library, thumbed through the pages and read the sections that intrigued me. It was interesting, but I needed to read something fun, so off I went to find an escape fun read!