Issar A.S., Zohar M. Climate change - environment and history of the Near East

Springer, 2007. — 306 p.This survey of the ancient levels of lakes, rivers and the sea, as well as changes in the compositions of stalagmites and sediments reveals an astonishing correlation of climate changes with the emergence and collapse of civilizations in the Middle East. The authors conclude that climate change has been the decisive factor in the history surrounding the origins of the "cradle of civilization".The Pendulum of Paradigms
Constructing the Jigsaw Puzzle of Palaeo-Climates
The Near East: A Bridge from the Garden of Eden to the Fields of Toil
The Great Transition - From Farming Villages to Urban Centers
The Urban Revolution and the Dawn of History
Dark Age, Renaissance, and Decay
Migrations and Settlings
The Age of Iron and Empires
Crusaders, Mamluks, and Ottomans on the Eve of the Era of Industry (ca 800 CE to the Present)
An Epilogue