Download or read book The Rise of Civilization written by David Oates and published by [Oxford] : Elsevier Phaidon. This book was released on 1976 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joan Oates - along with her late husband, David - first revived excavations at Tell Brak in northern Syria in the 1970s. Those excavations showed signs that civilizations existed in Syria 6,000 years ago, challenging long-held beliefs and changing the current theoretical framework about Earth's first societies.