Prehistoric World Cultures provides a broad overview of world prehistory while highlighting significant events, developments, and cultures through time. Organized chronologically and geographically, it gives students a clear understanding of changes through time from the evolution of our species to the development of complex civilizations.

The beginning of the text focuses on how archaeologists study past cultures and what kinds of archaeological methods are used to investigate prehistoric sites. The text then presents information on evolution, the beginnings of agriculture, and early complex civilizations such as Mesopotamia and the city-states of the Nile River Valley.

Students will also learn about the early cultures of East Asia, the Chinese Empire, South Asia, and ancient India. New World cultures, such as Native American groups, and the Maya, Aztec, and Inca are addressed in the final chapters.

Each chapter includes a "Bringing it Together" section that enables students to make important conceptual connections. Key terms and concepts are highlighted at the end of each chapter to improve retention.

The text gives students a firm grounding in world history, enabling them to better contextualize current news and events. Streamlined and straightforward, Prehistoric World Cultures can be used in courses on world prehistory, world archaeology, and introduction to archaeology.