Dr Sagona has conducted many seasons of excavation and survey work in eastern Turkey. This extravagantly illustrated book traces the history of the region from the beginning of settled life (c.11,000-5,500 BC) to the spread of Islam and the resplendent Ottoman period that followed. Among its fascinating subjects are details of the obsidian trade, the emergence of agriculture and stock-breeding; the development of metallurgy; the rise of a merchant class; the constantly changing political boundaries under the Urartians, Hittites and Persians; the Roman and Christian periods; and the Arab Conquest followed by the invasion of the Seljuks and their wonderful arts. The text is supported by the rare and beautiful photography of the sites and monuments, and of artefacts produced by the many different peoples who have inhabited this fascinating region.