"In Lost Civilizations Austen Atkinson looks at the history of twenty civilizations, either lost to us completely, or surviving only as ruins or oblique references in literary works. He never loses sight of the one constant element in history: it is human beings that make up a civilization. Piecing together the disparate sources of information currently available to us, he conjures up a picture of a living, breathing community, and highlights the contemporary concerns of its citizens that strike a chord with us today." "The account includes pertinent quotations from leading archaeologists and scientists from around the world, many of whom employ the fruits of recent technological advances in research. Austen examines many facets of each culture including its architecture, religion and environment, its rulers and the problems that loomed large in their day, such as securing the food supply, for civilizations from Angkor Wat in Kampuchea to Mahram Bilqis in the Yemen and Tiwanaku in Bolivia." "Lost Civilizations is the first book to combine new technologies such as satellite and land-based remote sensing images with archaeological discoveries to reveal the secrets of civilizations past. Specially commissioned computer generated imagery recreates the sites of which there is barely a trace." "This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the exploitation of historical material through new technology."--Jacket.