The Agrarian Sociology of Ancient Civilizations keyword labor history is a peculiarity of the is a peculiarity of the modern era that does not apply to the present day his eye opening account of Pakistan's controversial 'ball tampering' tour of England will provoke intense debate amongst cricket fans about the role of both the media and racism in the modern game Weber also had a profound scholarly interest in ancient societies and the Near East The Agrarian Sociology of Ancient Civilizations – Weber’s neglected masterpiece which first appeared in German in 1897 and was reissued in 1909 – represents a fascinating and rigorous exercise to bring the newly forged concepts of sociology to bear on civilizations as diverse as Mesopotamia and Egypt