Preface; Part I. Theoretical Perspectives: 1. Centre and periphery: a review of a concept Michael Rowlands; Part II. Regional Systems and the Genesis of Dependency: 2. The ancient economy, transferable technologies and the Bronze Age world-system: a view from the north-eastern frontier of the Ancient Near East Phil Kohl; 3. Cedar forest to silver mountain: social change and the development of long-distance trade in early Near Eastern societies Leon Marfoe; 4. On tracking cultural transfers in prehistory: the case of Egypt and lower Mesopotamia in the fourth millennium BC P. R. S. Moorey; Part III. Regional Interaction and Crisis: 5. Commercial networks in the Ancient Near East Mogens Trolle Larsen; 6. Aspects of ceremonial exchange in the Near East during the late second millennium BC Carlo Zaccagnini; 7. The collapse of the Near Eastern regional system at the end of the Bronze Age: the case of Syria Mario Liverani; 8. Centre and periphery in Bronze Age Scandinavia Kristian Kristiansen; Part IV. Imperial Expansion and its Hinterland: zonal contrasts: 9. Imperial expansion under the Roman Republic Daphne Nash; 10. Culture process on the periphery: Belgic Gaul and Rome during the late Republic and early Empire Colin Haselgrove; 11. Empire, frontier and the barbarian hinterland: Rome and northern Europe from AD 1-400 Lotte Hedeager; Bibliography; Index.