This is a fascinating look at stone age achievements that, unusually, starts from the premise that the Egyptians based their great achievements on earlier civilisations and then works systematically backwards in time. For example the Maltese stone temples built a millenium before the first dynasties of Pharaohs by a civilisation whose fate we do not know are amazing and one wonders why they are not better known. The achievements of Palaeolithic cave artists as long as 28,000 years ago are staggering. To say nothing of the accomplishments of the much and unfairly maligned Neandertals. A wonderful eye opener to the sheer breadth of prehistoric achievement. Could have benefited from an index though. ( )