?These are ancient lands, the birthplace of the first kingdoms of Europe . . .?

Drawing from the collections of more than two dozen museums in southeastern Europe, First Kings of Europe explores how ancient farming villages evolved into some of the earliest kingdoms in Europe.

In this souvenir catalog, travel from the farming villages of egalitarian Neolithic communities to the gilded world of Iron Age Thracian and Illyrian rulers, about 8,000 to 2,500 years ago. Learn how the emerging elite wielded weapons, jewelry and tools to gain power by amassing wealth and controlling trade, technology, rituals and warfare. And discover the unique cultures of the ancient Balkans firsthand.