A history of medicine and oncology from its origins to the present day as envisaged in this eleven-volume project has never before been written. By placing medicine and oncology into the broader framework of general history and humanist studies this project not only presents the facts but also their significance, thus providing valuable information about the major role played by medical sciences in the development of humanity. Although medical literature contains excellent, but albeit outdated histories of medicine, there are no books on the global history of oncology, in particular, ones which provide a comprehensive overview of the integration between these two disciplines. This first volume outlines the history of medicine and oncology from the origins of life to the development of society in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Imperial China and the pre-Columbian Americas. Scientifically accurate and fluidly written, the book combines medical data with numerous illustrations ranging from the ancient graffiti found in caves to the exquisite objects handmade by Ancient Civilisations; all these images visually represent the first steps taken in the field of medicine. The books in this project are not only authoritative texts available for consultation by scholars of medicine and oncology, they also provide interested readers the opportunity to trace the evolution of modern ideas regarding health and the treatment of illnesses, including cancer. Massimo Lopez was Director of the Division of Medical Oncology of the Regina Elena Institute for Cancer Research in Rome and Professor of Oncology at the 1st School of Specialisation in Oncology at Sapienza University, Rome. He has published over 200 articles in the most important scientific journals in Italy and abroad and written several books, including a monograph on breast cancer, one on GIST, and the manual of practical medical oncology that bears his name.