SKU: 23717721770

The Life and Death of Ancient Cities: A Natural History

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The Life and Death of Ancient Cities: A Natural HistoryThe dramatic story of the rise and collapse of Europe's first great urban experiment The growth of cities around the world in the last two centuries is the greatest episode in our urban history, but it is not the first. Three thousand years ago most of the Mediterranean basin was a world of villages; a world without money or writing, without temples for the gods or palaces for the mighty. Over the centuries that followed, however, cities appeared in

The dramatic story of the rise and collapse of Europe's first great urban experiment

The growth of cities around the world in the last two centuries is the greatest episode in our urban history, but it is not the first. Three thousand years ago most of the Mediterranean basin was a world of villages; a world without money or writing, without temples for the gods or palaces for the mighty. Over the centuries that followed, however, cities appeared in many places around the Inland Sea, built by Greeks and Romans, and also by Etruscans and Phoenicians, Tartessians and Lycians, and many others. Most were tiny by modern standards, but they were the building blocks of all the states and empires of antiquity. The greatest--Athens and Corinth, Syracuse and Marseilles, Alexandria and Ephesus, Persepolis and Carthage, Rome and Byzantium--became the powerhouses of successive ancient societies, not just political centers but also the places where ancient art and literatures were created and accumulated. And then, half way through the first millennium, most withered away, leaving behind ruins that have fascinated so many who came after.

Based on the most recent historical and archaeological evidence, The Life and Death of Ancient Cities provides a sweeping narrative of one of the world's first great urban experiments, from Bronze Age origins to the demise of cities in late antiquity. Greg Woolf chronicles the history of the ancient Mediterranean city, against the background of wider patterns of human evolution, and of the unforgiving environment in which they were built. Richly illustrated, the book vividly brings to life the abandoned remains of our ancient urban ancestors and serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of even the mightiest of cities.


Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 07/01/2020
ISBN: 9780199946129
Pages: 528
Weight: 2.00lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.40w x 1.70d
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SKU: 23717721770

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Laurie A. English
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Excellent down alternative insert
Size: Full/Queen, Style: All-Season
I purchased this down alternative for my Airbnb because we can easily wash it. I love that it is fluffy and warm and easy to put into the duvet. Price was great as well!!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2026
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Renee
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Feels luxury, I approve
Size: King, Style: Warm
I have purchased high end comforters/duvet inserts and this one is somehow my favorite. It's so thick and fluffy. I was going to do the double duvet insert method to create an extra lush bed situation, but honestly it's not needed at all with this comforter! It poofs up wonderfully inside my duvet cover (king duvet, king insert) and it's like heaven. It's very cozy yet airy, and it moves well during the night and does not fee too heavy despite its weight. This thing is definitely on the warm end and probably won't be suitable for Florida summers, but depending on how you set the AC at night it could be fine! The comforter is weighty, it feels like quality, and has a soft fabric. I wouldn't use it without a duvet cover, that's more of an aesthetic choice but I like keeping it clean. The white is very white. Honestly, I will be getting another one simply because I'm so impressed. Definitely no need to drop $300+ dollars elsewhere.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2025
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Rosalie
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 4
ALL SEASON IS TOO WARM!
Size: King, Style: All-Season
I got the King, All Season, to squeeze into a Queen duvet for extra floof and it's sooo cozy. Highly recommend. I redacted 1 star though because although it says All Season, the amount of down in here feels like it's for winter. The first night I used it I woke up dripping in sweat. It's currently March, I live in Los Angeles area, hitting about 75° weather outside rn, but I sleep with AC full blast at night (usually hit about 64 when I wake up). I can't sleep with it, I'll need to buy the "cool" one, and hope that isn't tooo thin. Don't get me wrong, it's a great insert, but holy hell, it's too heckin' warm. I saw someone else mention it and wish I had honed in on their comment. I don't wanna return it as it was used, so I'm stuck with it now. *UPDATE* I am back because I also bought the "Cool" blanket as well after experiencing the heat of the all season and it too is also too hot for me. I've had a duvet before but I guess not filled to the capacity of these blankets. If you're a hot sleeper maybe look elsewhere?
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Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2026
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Kingsize
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Buy this instead of the ‘brand name’ one
Size: Twin, Style: Warm
Tl:DR: Buy it, it’s super cheap, better than the one I paid 2x the price for and soft as it can get, and it really is a ‘Winter comforter’. This review is going to sound like I got paid off for it but I actually didn’t. I bought another comforter prior to this one, paid close to double of this one and that the ‘on sale’ price, and it is trash compared to this Amazon basics one. Both claim to be thick warm comforters but I can literally stack two of the other brand and maybe they’d be almost as thick as the Amazon one. I only bought this one because the other ‘winter’ one I bought was so thin and flimsy I figured adding another ‘cheapie’ one might make me not freeze to death. As soon as I arrived I noticed that this Amazon one was WAY thicker, nicer looking, softer and warmer than the old one. Just to try it out I stacked both of them together to see if I wouldn't freeze to death like I was doing with the old ‘expensive’ one: five minutes in and I was sweating. That’s all it took, I immediately removed the duvet cover from the old one, switched it to the Amazon one and threw the old one somewhere where I couldn’t see the money I had wasted, and yes the Amazon was warmer and softer even WITHOUT the duvet cover. I’m probably going to get the light version for when fall hits and I don’t quite need the heavy one yet. Buy it you won’t regret it and hey it’s Amazon brand so if you don’t like it they’ll take care of you, but I HIGHLY doubt you won’t love this thing.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2026
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Ryan flores
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Great duvet insert
Size: King, Style: Light
Perfect duvet insert. I got a pretty expensive duvet to cover this and they worked great together. The fit was perfect and I didn’t feel like the duvet was smaller than its cover. This was a cheap option that keep us warm while not being too think. This product is also breathable and recommend if you live in a place that transitions from hot to cold often.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2026

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