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Ancient Engineers' Inventions: Precursors of the Present (History of Mechanism and Machine Science #33)
by Cesare Rossi Flavio RussoThis book describes the inventions and designs of ancient engineers who are the precursors of the present. The period ranges mainly from 300 B. C. to 1600 A. D. with several exceptions. Many of the oldest inventions are documented by archaeological finds, often very little known, mainly from Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae and reveal a surprising modernity in their conception. Most of the inventions presented in the first four parts of this book were conceived up to the late Roman Empire and may be considered as milestones, each in their respective field. The fifth part concentrates on more recent centuries. The sixth part deals with some building construction techniques. Generally, for each of the presented inventions, three elements of research and reference are provided: written documents (the classics), iconic references (coins, bas-reliefs, etc. ) and archaeological findings. The authors did not write this book for engineers only; hence they describe all the devices without assuming wide technical knowledge. The authors' main aim is to try to communicate their enthusiasm for the inventions and the inventors of the past and to contribute to the fascinating study of the History of Engineering. This second edition includes new topics and chapters that are of special interest to engineers.
Ancient Ethics
by Susan Sauvé MeyerThis is the first comprehensive guide and only substantial undergraduate level introduction to ancient Greek and Roman ethics.It covers the ethical theories and positions of all the major philosophers (including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle) and schools (Stoics and Epicureans) from the earliest times to the Hellenistic philosophers, analyzing their main arguments and assessing their legacy. This book maps the foundations of this key area, which is crucial knowledge across the disciplines and essential for a wide range of readers.
Ancient Ethics and the Natural World
by Barbara M. Sattler Ursula CoopeThis book explores a distinctive feature of ancient philosophy: the close relation between ancient ethics and the study of the natural world. Human beings are in some sense part of the natural world, and they live their lives within a larger cosmos, but their actions are governed by norms whose relation to the natural world is up for debate. The essays in this volume, written by leading specialists in ancient philosophy, discuss how these facts about our relation to the world bear both upon ancient accounts of human goodness and also upon ancient accounts of the natural world itself. The volume includes discussion not only of Plato and Aristotle, but also of earlier and later thinkers, with an essay on the Presocratics and two essays that discuss later Epicurean, Stoic, and Neoplatonist philosophers.
Ancient Europe
by Stuart PiggottThis book interprets the main lines of European prehistory from the first agricultural communities in the sixth or even seventh millennium B.C. until the incorporation of much of barbarian Europe within the Roman Empire. It traces the beginnings of animal domestication and plant cultivation in ancient Western Asia, and the transmission of these skills by movements of peoples or by assimilation, in the European continent. The early technology of working in copper, and later in bronze, is discussed. Metal winning and working, and trade in raw materials and finished products, brought social and political repercussions to barbarian and civilised peoples alike.The spread of the Indo-European languages is considered in its archaeological context, as is the formation of the Celtic peoples, soon to acquire iron technology and to become the main barbarian component in Europe, side-by-side with the civilised Mediterranean societies, Greek, Etruscan or Roman. The later Celtic world of Europe and the British Isles is examined, and an attempt made to estimate the contribution of the older barbarian world to the Europe, which emerged from the ruins of the Roman Empire, geographically, the book ranges over the whole European field, from the Atlantic shores to the Urals and the Caucasus. While it does not pretend to be a prehistory of Europe within the period chosen, the book does bring together and discuss for the first time much scattered and often little-known archaeological evidence.This book is organized in a manner that will permit it being read on two levels. For the general non-specialist reader, the text and illustrations should give a sufficient idea of the nature of the theme and of the evidence, and of the development of the barbarian cultures side-by-side with the civilizations of antiquity, as their precursors and their subsequent counterparts. For the archaeological student however the text is documented with rather full references and notes at the end of each chapte
Ancient European Costume and Fashion
by Herbert NorrisScrupulously researched book by noted authority traces the development of European clothing styles from prehistory to the Norman Conquest in A.D. 1066. Over 160 illustrations, including 17 full-color plates, display draped robes of classical Greece, the jewel-encrusted apparel of a 10th-century Byzantine emperor, garments of peasants, as well as footwear, hairstyles, headdresses, and jewelry.
Ancient Extravagance: Christian Ways of Becoming More Human
by Ryan SniderFind the beautiful and come alive. We are all frittering away our lives—at least according to someone. They tell us to be productive and not waste our opportunities. In Ancient Extravagance, Ryan Snider shows us that life is more than our accomplishments and what we do. The key to a life of meaning is developing our spiritual senses, which only come awake when we worship with others. That might seem like a waste of time, but in fact, these ancient practices have the power to wake up all parts of our lives—not just Sunday morning. Snider begins with a recovery of childlike wonder and story, reclaiming how prose, poetry, memory, and reflection heal and strengthen the soul. Next, he turns to melodies our grandmothers taught us, examining how they reach into our bones. He then reflects on what it means to eat meals with strangers and how a simple act of hospitality can gently inscribe love, generosity, gratitude, and hospitality in our hearts. These seemingly insignificant practices are mustard seeds that grow into trees to create shade for the world. When we cease simply going to worship and start becoming the worship, we will discover the friendships, beauty, purpose, stories, and sacred moments that will save us and make us more human. Deeply meaningful and delightfully humorous, candid yet surprising, Ancient Extravagance will connect you with a more beautiful and meaningful life.
Ancient Faces: Mummy Portraits in Roman Egypt (A\catalogue Of Roman Portraits In The British Museum Ser. #Pt. 4)
by Susan WalkerFrom the first major discoveries a century ago, the painted portraits of Roman Egypt were a revelation to scholars and the public alike, and the recent finding of a new cache of these gilded images, which made national headlines, have only heightened their mystery and appeal. Published to coincide with a new major exhibition of these portraits, Ancient Faces is the most comprehensive, up-to-date survey of these astonishing works of art.Dating from the later period of Roman rule in Egypt, shortly before the birth of Christ, the painted mummy portraits are among the most remarkable products of the ancient world, a fusion of the traditions of pharonic Egypt and the Classical world. They are historical and cultural objects of outstanding importance and beauty, superb works of art that represent some of the earliest known examples of life-like portraiture. Though the subjects of the portraits believed in the traditional Egyptian cults, which offered them a firm prospect of life after death, they also wished to be commemorated in the Roman manner, with their fashion of dress and adornment signaling their status in life. Despite their ancient history, these portraits speak to the modern eye with a beauty and intensity that would be lost to portraiture until the Renaissance.
Ancient Fairy and Folk Tales: An Anthology
by Graham AndersonThis anthology explores the multitude of evidence for recognisable fairy tales drawn from sources in the much older cultures of the ancient world, appearing much earlier than the 17th century where awareness of most fairy tales tends to begin. It presents versions of Cinderella, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Snow White, The Frog Prince and a host of others where the similarities to familiar ‘modern’ versions far outweigh the differences. Here we find Cinderella as a courtesan, Snow White coming to a tragic end or an innocent heroine murdering her sisters. We find an emperor’s new clothes where the flatterers compare him to Alexander the Great, or a pair of adulterers caught in a magic trap. Tantalising fragments suggest that there is more to be discovered: we can point to a Sleeping Beauty where the girl takes on the green colouring of the surrounding wood, or we encounter a Rumpelstiltskin connected to a mystery cult. The overall picture suggests a much richer texture of popular tale as a fascinating new legacy of antiquity. This volume breaks down the traditional barriers between Classical Mythology and the fairy tale, and will be an invaluable resource for anyone working on the history of fairy tales and folklore.
Ancient Fiction: The Novel in the Graeco-Roman World (Routledge Revivals)
by Graham AndersonA number of ancient novelists were skilful storytellers and resourceful literary artists, and their works are often carefully individualised presentations of an ancient and distinguished heritage. Ancient Fiction, first published in 1984, examines the tales retold by these novelists in light of more recently discovered Near Eastern texts, and in this way offers a tentative solution to Rohde’s celebrated problem about the origins of the Greek novel. Among the surprises that emerge are an ancient stratum of the Arabian Nights and a possible Tristan-Romance, as well as an animal Satyricon and a human Golden Ass. This new framework is, however, incidental to an examination of the achievements of ancient novelists in their own right. In presenting character, structuring narrative, imposing a veneer of sophistication or contriving a religious ethos, these writers demonstrate that their work is worthy of sympathetic study, rather dismissal as the pulp fiction of the ancient world.
Ancient Forests of the Pacific Northwest
by Peter H. Raven The Wilderness Society Elliott A. NorseAncient Forests of the Pacific Northwest provides a global context for what is happening in the Pacific Northwest, analyzing the remaining ancient forest and the threats to it from atmospheric changes and logging. It shows how human tampering affects an ecosystem, and how the Pacific Northwest could become a model for sustainable forestry worldwide.
Ancient Forgiveness
by Charles L. Griswold David KonstanIn this book, eminent scholars of classical antiquity and ancient and medieval Judaism and Christianity explore the nature and place of forgiveness in the pre-modern Western world. They discuss whether the concept of forgiveness, as it is often understood today, was absent, or at all events more restricted in scope than has been commonly supposed, and what related ideas (such as clemency or reconciliation) may have taken the place of forgiveness. An introductory chapter reviews the conceptual territory of forgiveness and illuminates the potential breadth of the idea, enumerating the important questions a theory of the subject should explore. The following chapters examine forgiveness in the contexts of classical Greece and Rome; the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and Moses Maimonides; and the New Testament, the Church Fathers, and Thomas Aquinas.
Ancient Futures, 3rd Edition
by Helena Norberg-Hodge H.H. the Dalai LamaA moving portrait of tradition and change in Ladakh, or “Little Tibet,” Ancient Futures is also a scathing critique of the global economy and a rallying call for economic localization. When Helena Norberg-Hodge first visited Ladakh in 1975, she found a pristine environment, a self-reliant economy and a people who exhibited a remarkable joie de vivre. But then came a tidal wave of economic growth and development. Over the last four decades, this remote Himalayan land has been transformed by outside markets and Western notions of “progress.” As a direct result, a whole range of problems—from polluted air and water to unemployment, religious conflict, eating disorders and youth suicide—have appeared for the first time. Yet this is far from a story of despair. Social and environmental breakdown, Norberg-Hodge argues, are neither inevitable nor evolutionary, but the products of political and economic decisions—and those decisions can be changed. In a new Preface, she presents a kaleidoscope of projects around the world that are pointing the way for both human and ecological well-being. These initiatives are the manifestation of a rapidly growing localization movement, which works to rebuild place-based cultures—strengthening community and our connection with nature. Ancient Futures challenges us to redefine what a healthy economy means, and to find ways to carry centuries-old wisdom into our future. The book and a related film by the same title have, between them, been translated into more than 40 languages.
Ancient Geopolymers in South America and Easter Island (SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences)
by Joseph DavidovitsThis book presents the study on Ancient Geopolymers in South America and Easter Island regions, exploring the artificial nature of the volcanic rocks used in the construction of Easter Island's statues. Contrary to the belief that the statues were carved and transported, Davidovits suggests they were made on-site using geopolymer technology. He proposes that this knowledge came from Amerindians from the Andes, specifically the Tiahuanaco region near Lake Titicaca. The book is divided into two parts: the first examines geopolymeric artificial stone technologies in the Andes, and the second establishes a connection between these technologies and Easter Island, 3,700 km away. Davidovits' research includes geological expeditions, SEM analysis, petrography, and a comprehensive review of international literature. It is intriguing to observe that in both cases, Pumapunku /Tiwanaku in the Andes and Easter Island, volcanic rocks are involved which contain biological carbon. These discoveries undeniably support the theory of geopolymeric artificial manufacturing, challenging traditional archaeological views.
Ancient Germanic Warriors: Warrior Styles from Trajan's Column to Icelandic Sagas
by Michael P. SpeidelPresenting a range of evidence for these diverse styles, from Roman art to early medieval bracteate amulets, and from classical texts to Beowulf, the Edda and Icelandic sagas, Professor Speidel here details seventeen different Germanic warriors styles, including berserks, wolf-warriors, club-wielders, long-hairs, ghost warriors and horse-stabbers, and how they indicate an unbroken continuity of customs, beliefs and battle-field tactics. Ancient Germanic warriors played a decisive role in historical events from 200 BC, when Germanic culture first became identifiable, to AD 1000 when Christianity swept through the Nordic countries. Arising from beliefs and states of mind, a variety of warrior styles manifested themselves in differences of dress, weaponry and fighting technique. Fully illustrated with over fifty photographs, this vivid and fascinating survey adds a colourful new dimension to our understanding of the history of Europe.
Ancient Giants: History, Myth, and Scientific Evidence from around the World (Discovering Ancient America Ser.)
by Xaviant HazeInvestigates physical evidence, history, and myths to reveal the lost race of giants that once dominated the world • Reveals suppressed archaeological and scientific discoveries supporting the existence of a worldwide race of giants • Examines giant myths and legends from ancient religious texts and literature from around the world • Includes findings from throughout Europe (Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Russia), the Middle East (Israel, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Iran), Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East (China, Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines) From the Nephilim and Goliath in the Bible to the Titans in Greek mythology and the Fomorians and Frost Giants in Celtic and Nordic lore, almost every culture around the world has spoken of an ancient race of giants. Giant footprints left in the geological bedrock, tens of thousands of years old, have been discovered in India, China, and the war-torn lands of Syria. Giant bones and full skeletons have been found in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Yet despite mounting evidence, mainstream science continues to consign these findings to the fringe. Examining global myths, historical records, megalithic ruins, and archaeological findings, Xaviant Haze provides compelling evidence for a lost race of giants in Earth’s prehistory. He explores myths that go back thousands of years, including those found in the world’s holiest scriptures, as well as medieval and modern myths, such as Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account of the first kings of Britain and the stories of giant bones unearthed by Allied soldiers during World War II. He investigates historical reports of ancient giants found in Ireland and the British Isles—the remains of which mysteriously disappeared shortly after their discovery. He explores the legends of giants in Russia and goes deep into the Far East, revealing the multitude of fascinating giant legends in China. Haze explains how giants were responsible for the megalithic wonders of Malta and how the early settlers of Australia discovered the remains of giants but these findings were suppressed by the Royal Academies. He also explores the mythic origins of the giants: Were they the hybrid results from genetic experiments of ancient aliens or from the interbreeding of the fallen angels with the daughters of man? Covering legends and finds from throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East, Haze also presents--in its entirety--The Book of Giants, a portion of the Dead Sea Scrolls suppressed due to its overwhelming support for the existence of giants in antiquity.
Ancient Glass
by Julian HendersonThis book is an interdisciplinary exploration of archaeological glass in which technological, historical, geological, chemical and cultural aspects of the study of ancient glass are combined. The book examines why and how this unique material was invented some 4,500 years ago and considers the ritual, social, economic and political contexts of its development. It also provides an in-depth consideration of glass as a material, the raw materials used to make it, and its wide range of chemical compositions in both the East and the West from its invention to the seventeenth century AD. Julian Henderson focuses on three contrasting archaeological and scientific case studies: Late Bronze Age glass, late Hellenistic–early Roman glass, and Islamic glass in the Middle East. He considers in detail the provenances of ancient glass using scientific techniques and discusses a range of vessels and their uses in ancient societies.
Ancient Glass of South Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections
by Laure Dussubieux Alok Kumar KanungoThis book provides a comprehensive research on Ancient Indian glass. The contributors include experienced archaeologists of South Asian glass and archaeological chemists with expertise in the chemical analysis of glass, besides, established ethnohistorians and ethnoarchaeologists. It is comprised of five sections, and each section discusses different aspects of glass study: the origin of glass and its evolution, its scientific study and its care, ancient glass in literature and glass ethnography, glass in South Asia and the diffusion of glass in different parts of the world. The topic covered by the different chapters ranges from the development of faience, to the techniques developed for the manufacture of glass beads, glass bangles or glass mirrors at different times in south Asia, a major glass producing region and the regional distribution of key artefacts both within India and outside the region, in Africa, Europe or Southeast Asia. Some chapters also include extended examples of the archaeometry of ancient glasses. It makes an important contribution to archaeological, anthropological and analytical aspects of glass in South Asia. As such, it represents an invaluable resource for students through academic and industry researchers working in archaeological sciences, ancient knowledge system, pyrotechnology, historical archaeology, social archaeology and student of anthropology and history with an interest in glass and the archaeology of South Asia.
Ancient Goddess Magic: Invoking the Queens of the Heavens
by Vanessa Lavallée• Explores beliefs and myths from Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and around the Mediterranean, revealing how ancient goddesses were powerful Queens of the Heavens and Guardians of the Underworld, not passive fertility symbols• Looks at creator goddesses, sun goddesses, lunar goddesses, warrior maiden goddesses, and night goddesses, including Hathor, Asherah, Inanna, Hekate, Athena, Astarte, and Gula-Bau• Includes modern adaptations of ancient goddess magic rituals and instructions for creating divine amulets, figurines, and stones blessed with the goddesses&’ powersIn the most ancient cultures of our world, goddesses were seen not as passive fertility symbols but as powerful, active queens of the heavens who protected cities, guided the dead and dying, and oversaw all forms of rebirth and transformation. Sharing her years of research and personal exploration, Vanessa Lavallée presents the animistic beliefs of our long-forgotten ancestors and shows how the queens of the heavens still have a vital role to play in modern spirituality.Lavallée looks at sun goddesses who were often viewed as the mothers of the gods and reveals how to spiritually and magically work with creatrix energies. Examining how to work with the warrior goddess archetype found in goddesses such as Athena, Circe the sorceress, and Aphaia from the island of Aegina, the author explains their important connections to the Eagle constellation and eagle lore. Looking at night goddesses, including Gula-Bau, Ataegina, and Hecate, Lavallée explores their star magic and healing powers and describes their connection to death and the underworld as well as to Sirius, the Milky Way, and Vega, the goat star. Exploring lunar goddesses and their role as protectors and their connections to the swan and the Cygnus constellation, she looks at how to work with ladies of the sea such as Astarte, Aphrodite, and Tanit.Offering modern adaptations of ancient goddess magic rituals, Lavallée explains how to perform rituals for healing, protection, and purification and how to create divine amulets and figurines blessed with the goddesses&’ powers. She also reveals how to practice astral bathing for spiritual guidance and presents initiation practices throughout to help you connect with each queen of the heavens.
Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson
by Anita ThompsonA collection of outrageous and brilliant interviews with the author of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," selected and edited by his widow, Anita Thompson.
Ancient Gordion (Case Studies in Early Societies)
by Lisa Kealhofer Peter Grave Mary VoigtAncient Gordion has long been recognized as a key Iron Age site for Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean. Archaeological research has revealed much about its sequence of occupation. However, as yet no study has explored the underlying drivers of political and economic change at this site. This volume presents an overview of the political and economic histories supporting emergent elites and how they constructed power at Gordion during the Iron Age (1200-300 BCE). Based on geochemical and typological analysis of nearly 2000 Late Bronze Age to Hellenistic ceramic samples, the volume contextualizes this primary dataset through the lens of ceramic production, consumption, exchange and emulation. Synthesizing site data sets, the volume more broadly contributes to our understanding of the pivotal role of groups and their economic, social, and ritual practices in the creation of complex societies.
Ancient Graffiti in Context (Routledge Studies in Ancient History)
by J. A. BairdGraffiti are ubiquitous within the ancient world, but remain underexploited as a form of archaeological or historical evidence. They include a great variety of texts and images written or drawn inside and outside buildings, in public and private places, on monuments in the city, on objects used in daily life, and on mountains in the countryside. In each case they can be seen as actively engaging with their environment in a variety of ways. Ancient Graffiti in Context interrogates this cultural phenomenon and by doing so, brings it into the mainstream of ancient history and archaeology. Focusing on different approaches to and interpretations of graffiti from a variety of sites and chronological contexts, Baird and Taylor pose a series of questions not previously asked of this evidence, such as: What are graffiti, and how can we interpret them? In what ways, and with whom, do graffiti communicate? To what extent do graffiti represent or subvert the cultural values of the society in which they occur? By comparing themes across time and space, and viewing graffiti in context, this book provides a series of interpretative strategies for scholars and students of the ancient world. As such it will be essential reading for Classical archaeologists and historians alike.
Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean Whole Grain Recipes for Barley, Farro, Kamut, Polenta, Wheat Berries and More
by Maria SpeckFood writer Maria Speck's passion for propelling Old World staples such as farro, barley, polenta, and wheat berries to the forefront of new American cooking is beautifully presented in Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. In this inspired and highly personal book, Maria Speck draws on food traditions from across the Mediterranean and northern Europe to reveal how versatile, satisfying, flavorful, and sophisticated whole grains can be. Rustic but elegant dishes--Creamy Farro with Honey-Roasted Grapes, Barley Salad with Figs and Tarragon-Lemon Dressing, Lamb Stew with Wheat Berries in Red Wine Sauce, and Purple Rice Pudding with Rose Water Dates--are sure to please discerning palates and become favorites in any whole grain repertoire. Food lovers and health-conscious home chefs alike learn how to integrate whole grains into their busy lives, from quick-cooking quinoa and buckwheat to the slower varieties such as spelt and Kamut. The stunning flavors and lively textures of whole grains are enhanced with natural ingredients such as butter, cream, and prosciutto--in moderation--to create lush Mediterranean-inspired recipes. Maria's approachable style and generous spirit make this collection of time-honored, updated classics a treasury for today's cooks.From the Hardcover edition.
Ancient Greece
by William Caper Margaret McnamaraLearn about ancient Greek culture and how it helped shape the art, ideas, words, and stories of the modern world. (Set of 6 with Teacher's Guide and Comprehension Question Card)
Ancient Greece
by Robert PayneA history of Greece from its founding to the advent of Philip of Macedon. Covers all aspects of Greek life, philosophy and literature.
Ancient Greece
by Thomas MartinIn this compact yet comprehensive history of ancient Greece, Thomas R. Martin brings alive Greek civilization from its Stone Age roots to the fourth century B.C. Focusing on the development of the Greek city-state and the society, culture, and architecture of Athens in its Golden Age, Martin integrates political, military, social, and cultural history in a book that will appeal to students and general readers alike. Now in its second edition, this classic work now features new maps and illustrations, a new introduction, and updates throughout. â œA limpidly written, highly accessible, and comprehensive history of Greece and its civilizations from prehistory through the collapse of Alexander the Greatâ TMs empire. . . . A highly readable account of ancient Greece, particularly useful as an introductory or review text for the student or the general reader.â ?â "Kirkus Reviews â œA polished and informative work that will be useful for general readers and students.â ?â "Daniel Tompkins, Temple University