Richard Miles (historian)

"Civilisation as a term suggests human agency. It is the way in which people have articulated how and why they wanted to live in communities. It's about how we imagine the perfect community. I think th…"

"But archaeology often acts as a parallel narrative to history: if you start digging with a textbook in your hand, you are soon going to get confused. You have to be comfortable with the idea that ther…"

"Civilisation as a term suggests human agency. Things don't come together organically."

"Writing certainly develops as an elite initiative at this time. It helps them to harness the workforce – it's a way of communicating with the gods; and it's a way for the elites to list what you have,…"

"If you are looking at fine buildings or the literature of the period, you have to be aware that you are only dealing with the mindset of the elite."

"In some respects, cities are bottom-up processes, but they are also top-down initiatives – and elites soon develop. Religion is older than the city, but the elites quickly build temples and turn thems…"

"There are winners and losers – and human will created the world we live in."