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Ancient Rome: From Romulus to Justinian
by Thomas R. MartinWith commanding skill, Thomas R. Martin tells the remarkable and dramatic story of how a tiny, poor, and threatened settlement grew to become, during its height, the dominant power in the Mediterranean world for five hundred years. Encompassing the period from Rome's founding in the eighth century B.C. through Justinian's rule in the sixth century A.D., he offers a distinctive perspective on the Romans and their civilization by employing fundamental Roman values as a lens through which to view both their rise and spectacular fall.Interweaving social, political, religious, and cultural history, Martin interprets the successes and failures of the Romans in war, political organization, quest for personal status, and in the integration of religious beliefs and practices with government. He focuses on the central role of social and moral values in determining individual conduct as well as decisions of state, from monarchy to republic to empire. Striving to reconstruct ancient history from the ground up, he includes frequent references to ancient texts and authors, encouraging readers to return to the primary sources. Comprehensive, concise, and accessible, this masterful account provides a unique window into Rome and its changing fortune. 
Ancient Rome: Social and Historical Documents from the Early Republic to the Death of Augustus (Routledge Sourcebooks for the Ancient World)
by Matthew Dillon Lynda GarlandIn this second edition, Ancient Rome presents an extensive range of material, from the early Republic to the death of Augustus, with two new chapters on the Second Triumvirate and The Age of Augustus. Dillon and Garland have also included more extensive late Republican and Augustan sources on social developments, as well as further information on the Gold Age of Roman literature. Providing comprehensive coverage of all important documents pertaining to the Roman Republic and the Augustan age, Ancient Rome includes: source material on political and military developments in the Roman Republic and Augustan age (509 BC - AD 14) detailed chapters on social phenomena, such as Roman religion, slavery and freedmen, women and the family, and the public face of Rome clear, precise translations of documents taken not only from historical sources but also from inscriptions, laws and decrees, epitaphs, graffiti, public speeches, poetry, private letters and drama concise up-to-date bibliographies and commentaries for each document and chapter a definitive collection of source material on the Roman Republic and early empire. Students of ancient Rome and classical studies will find this new edition invaluable at all levels of study.
Ancient Rome: The Definitive Visual History (DK Classic History)
by DKStep into the world of Ancient Rome and explore the rise and fall of a fascinating ancient civilization like never before!Become an eyewitness to the wonders of one of history&’s greatest civilizations, from its vast empire to gladiator fights, this picture-led guide will take you on a visual tour through Ancient Rome like never before. Who were Rome's most famous emperors? What was everyday life like for a soldier in the Roman army? How did the citizens of ancient Rome live? Did gladiators really fight to the death in the mighty Colosseum? If you find yourself seeking the answers to these questions and more, then this may be the book for you!Photographs of real artifacts and detailed illustrations will help you to understand what it was like to live in this mighty civilization, as it changed from a small city-state ruled by kings to one of the most powerful empires in history. Find out, too, what a typical Roman house was like and what food Romans ate. Learn about how people spent their free time, whether paying a visit to the theatre, using the public bath, or watching gladiators fight a gruesome battle to the death in the world-famous Colosseum.Throughout the pages of this newly- revised incredible history book, you can expect to find: -Up to 20 percent new images, including photography and updated diagrams-All information updated by expert consultants-Packed with amazing facts, infographics, statistics, and timelines-Includes brand new eyewitness accounts from experts in the fieldThis museum in a book uses striking full-color photographs and illustrations of crafts and technology, talks about trade and travel and house and home in Ancient Rome, as well as amazing facts, infographics, statistics, and timelines to help bring this extraordinary civilization to life before your very eyes. The unique visual approach immerses curious children in every page, and the added wall chart is the perfect historical-themed accessory for the bedroom or classroom! A must-have volume for curious children aged 9+ with a thirst for knowledge and learning, alongside teachers, parents and librarians.So, what&’s new? Part of DK&’s best-selling Eyewitness series, this popular title has been reinvigorated for the next generation of information-seekers and stay-at-home explorers, with a fresh new look, up to 20 percent new images, including photography and updated diagrams, updated information, and a new &“eyewitness&” feature with fascinating first-hand accounts from experts in the field.Explore the series!Globally, the Eyewitness series has sold more than 50 million copies over 30 years. Join the journey to combat climate change with Eyewitness Climate Change or take a trip aboard the most famous ship in history with Eyewitness Titanic.
Ancient Rome: The Rise And Fall Of An Empire
by Simon BakerThis is the story of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Simon Baker charts the rise and fall of the world's first superpower, focusing on six momentous turning points that shaped Roman history. Welcome to Rome as you've never seen it before - awesome and splendid, gritty and squalid. <p><p> From the conquest of the Mediterranean beginning in the third century BC to the destruction of the Roman Empire at the hands of barbarian invaders some seven centuries later, we discover the most critical episodes in Roman history: the spectacular collapse of the 'free' republic, the birth of the age of the 'Caesars', the violent suppression of the strongest rebellion against Roman power, and the bloody civil war that launched Christianity as a world religion. <p><p> At the heart of this account are the dynamic, complex but flawed characters of some of the most powerful rulers in history: men such as Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero and Constantine. Putting flesh on the bones of these distant, legendary figures, Simon Baker looks beyond the dusty, toga-clad caricatures and explores their real motivations and ambitions, intrigues and rivalries. <p><p> The superb narrative, full of energy and imagination, is a brilliant distillation of the latest scholarship and a wonderfully evocative account of Ancient Rome.
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire
by Simon BakerThis is the story of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Simon Baker charts the rise and fall of the world's first superpower, focusing on six momentous turning points that shaped Roman history. Welcome to Rome as you've never seen it before - awesome and splendid, gritty and squalid. From the conquest of the Mediterranean beginning in the third century BC to the destruction of the Roman Empire at the hands of barbarian invaders some seven centuries later, we discover the most critical episodes in Roman history: the spectacular collapse of the 'free' republic, the birth of the age of the 'Caesars', the violent suppression of the strongest rebellion against Roman power, and the bloody civil war that launched Christianity as a world religion. At the heart of this account are the dynamic, complex but flawed characters of some of the most powerful rulers in history: men such as Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero and Constantine. Putting flesh on the bones of these distant, legendary figures, Simon Baker looks beyond the dusty, toga-clad caricatures and explores their real motivations and ambitions, intrigues and rivalries. The superb narrative, full of energy and imagination, is a brilliant distillation of the latest scholarship and a wonderfully evocative account of Ancient Rome.
Ancient Sacred Sites in the Gulf of Naples: The Sanctuary of Athena at Punta Campanella (Young Feltrinelli Prize in the Moral Sciences)
by Luca Di FrancoThe geographical position between the gulfs of Naples and Salerno made pre-Roman Sorrento a fundamental point of passage. Around the inhabited centre, sacred sites or scattered settlements developed, including the sanctuary of Athena on the extreme tip of the peninsula near Punta Campanella. This book explores the historical development of the sanctuary from the 6th century BC to the 1st century AD. Drawing on partly unpublished archaeological documentation and literary sources, the book provides useful elements for understanding the site and its relationship with the surrounding area. Sorrento and the Greek presence in the Gulf of Naples are linked to the sanctuary installation, perhaps first dedicated to the Sirens but surely after to Athena. Judging from literary sources, it was one of the best-known places of worship in ancient Italy. It was only in the 1980s that the discovery of an Oscan inscription with a dedication to Minerva made it possible to hypothesise the presence of a sanctuary near the Medieval tower at Punta Campanella. The analysis of the archaeological documentation known until now, the study of the new archaeological plans and the material culture (ceramics) from the site make it possible to better understand the development and the importance of the sanctuary. This book, therefore, defines the historical and territorial development of the sanctuary of Athena, reconstructing the history of the territory of ancient Surrentum and, above all, its most important sanctuary. The book will be of particular interest to archaeologists, ancient historians and historians of religion.
Ancient Salt Roads of China
by Kui ZhaoAncient Salt Roads of China is the most comprehensive book to date on the transportation routes of the ancient Chinese salt industry and offers complete coverage of extant research on the spread of the salt industry culture. It reconstructs the distribution of the salt industry and salt economy in nine salt districts and four regions (north, east, west and south) in ancient China, and analyzes the distribution of their respective salt transportation routes, covering the geographical scope of China’s 18 provinces and four municipalities directly under the Central Government. Working from this basis, it then comprehensively applies research methods from various disciplines such as architecture, history, and sociology to explore how regional culture penetrates through salt as a medium, the relationship between the outside and the inside of salt communication, and the scope of salt transportation in connection with cultural boundaries. The book offers a wealth of novel perspectives, innovative methods, and sound conclusions.
Ancient Scepticism (Ancient Philosophies Ser. #5)
by Harald ThorsrudScepticism, a philosophical tradition that casts doubt on our ability to gain knowledge of the world and suggests suspending judgement in the face of uncertainty, has been influential since is beginnings in ancient Greece. Harald Thorsrud provides an engaging, rigorous introduction to the arguments, central themes and general concerns of ancient Scepticism, from its beginnings with Pyrrho of Elis (c.360-c.270 BCE) to the writings of Sextus Empiricus in the second century CE. Thorsrud explores the differences among Sceptics and examines in particular the separation of the Scepticism of Pyrrho from its later form - Academic Scepticism - which arose when its ideas were introduced into Plato's "Academy" in the third century BCE. He also unravels the prolonged controversy that developed between Academic Scepticism and Stoicism, the prevailing dogmatism of the day. Steering an even course through the many differences of scholarly opinion surrounding Scepticism, Thorsrud provides a balanced appraisal of its enduring significance by showing why it remains so philosophically interesting and how ancient interpretations differ from modern ones.
Ancient Science Through the Golden Age of Greece
by George Sarton"There are few scholars or scientists today who write as beautifully or as interestingly as [Sarton] . . . [his] book is magnificent." -- Ashley Montagu, Saturday ReviewAlthough science did not begin in ancient Greece (millennia of work in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and other regions preceded Greek efforts) it is nevertheless true that methodic, rational investigation of the natural universe originated largely with early Hellenic thinkers. Thus, the major part of this book is of necessity devoted to Greece. Drawing wherever possible on original sources, Dr. Sarton, one of the world's foremost historians of science, paints a vivid and illuminating picture of mathematics, astronomy, physics, biology, medicine, and other sciences as they emerged from the mists of prehistory and ultimately flourished within the context of Greek society. The book is divided into three parts. Part One begins with the earliest evidence of prehistoric mathematics, astronomy, and other science. Dr. Sarton then describes the achievements of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the dawn of Greek culture and the remarkable flowering of Ionian science in the sixth century B.C. Thales of Miletos, Anaximandrox, and Xenophanes are among the important figures discussed. An entire chapter focuses on the influential doctrines of Pythagoras.Part Two opens with the glory of Athens in the fifth century B.C. and its magnificent achievements in poetry and the arts, philosophy, and science. Described in lucid detail are groundbreaking contributions of Heracleitos, Anaxagoras, Protagoras, Zenon of Elea, Parmenides, Democritos, and many others. Also included in this section are perceptive discussions of geographers and historians of the fifth century (Herodotos, Thucydides, and others) and Greek medicine of the fifth century (chiefly Hippocratic). Part Three focuses on the extraordinary Greek thinkers of the fourth century B.C.: Plato and the Academy, Aristotle, Xenophon and many others, including such important schools of thought as the cynics, stoics, skeptics, and epicureans. Major attention is given to mathematics, astronomy and physics, natural sciences and medicine, Aristotelian humanities, and historiography and other topics. "Of great value to the general historian and an exciting, arresting story for the lay reader. -- The Yale Review
Ancient Seas of Southern Florida: The Geology and Paleontology of the Everglades Region
by Edward J. Petuch David P. BerschauerThe authors have done an outstanding job of compiling decades of data collected by their own field reconnaissance and other geoscientists… This represents a significant contribution to the understanding of the development of the Florida carbonate platform, and it will assist other disciplines as they strive for better understanding of our groundwater resources, aquifer characterizations, paleoenvironmental interpretations, and historical/educational geology programs.Walt Schmidt, Florida State Geologist & Chief, Florida Geological Survey, USA (praise for the first edition)Painting a complete picture of the history of the Everglades, Ancient Seas of Southern Florida: The Geology and Paleontology of the Everglades Region, Second Edition provides an overview of the geology, paleontology, and paleoceanography of the region. It emphasizes the upper 300m of the geologic framework of the area and gives insight into the local stratigraphy, geomorphology, lithology, and historical geology. Designed to be a field guide as well as a reference, the book is illustrated in full color with brand new photographs of exposed geologic sections, stratotype localities, collection sites, and details of interesting fossil beds.In this book, the authors illustrate almost 800 of the most important and diagnostic stratigraphic index fossils found in these beds, including over 50 species of corals and almost 700 species of mollusks, along with echinoderms, crustaceans, echinoids, petrified wood, and aquatic vertebrates. A new edition of The Geology of the Everglades and Adjacent Areas, it contains larger images of fossil shells, corals, and echinoderms and includes new updated geological data and concepts, as well as an expanded iconography of stratigraphic index fossils. Based on the data gleaned from these fossils, it also offers a series of geomorphological visualizations, showing the possible appearances of the Florida Peninsula during the times when it was covered by tropical seas, from the Oligocene to the late Pleistocene.This second edition provides a new perspective on both the historical geology of southern Florida and the evolution of one of America’s most beautiful natural treasures, the Everglades.
Ancient Secret of Personal Power: Tetragrammaton
by Hilton HotemaIn the Great Mystic Symbolic Tetragrammaton of the Ancient Masters we have one of their deepest secrets; the discovery of what the Masters called the Sacred Four Elements, as they found that these elements enter into the constitution of everything known.Earth, Water, Air, and Fire are the elements that produce every formation, every object, every organism. The Masters then invented an appropriate symbol to embrace the Sacred Four Elements. This symbol is known to us as the Sphinx, the image of which has been found in all the lands of the ancient world, and just as far back in the night of time as it is possible for us to go.Professor Hilton Hotema again raises compelling questions regarding our physical, spiritual, and mental reactions to these Sacred Four Elements.
Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth: Book 2
by Peter KelderFinally, the exciting and long-awaited sequel to one of the biggest health and healing bestsellers of all time has arrived. When Peter Kelder's Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth was released by Harbor Press in 1985, it immediately touched off an incredible sales phenomenon rivaled only by The Celestine Prophecy and Conversations with God. In this book, readers were introduced to the Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation, a series of exercises developed over centuries in the monasteries of Tibet and credited by thousands for everything from increased energy to better memory, weight loss, and just looking and feeling younger. Almost as quickly as the books filtered across the globe, letters began to pour in to Harbor Press requesting more information on these mysterious rites. Now, more than ten years and two million books later, comes a comprehensive companion volume that addresses the unanswered questions of so many readers. Picking up where Kelder's book left off, Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth, Book 2 provides the complete Fountain of Youth health program, with detailed information on a variety of topics discussed only fleetingly in the original bestseller: the history and origins of the Five Rites, valuable insights about how the Rites work, diet suggestions, and easy-to-follow exercises. Illustrated with fifty black-and-white photographs, this guide will help turn back the hands of time, invigorating and energizing readers' lives as never before.
Ancient Secrets of Facial Rejuvenation
by Victoria J. MogilnerThis natural skin-care program is designed around the principle that the face reveals what the body feels and what the body suffers. It incorporates whole-body healing to prevent and counteract signs of aging without surgery or harsh chemicals -- and at no cost. Derived from massage, aromatherapy, acupressure, and traditional Chinese healing arts, these gentle techinques produce a more youthful face and lead to better physical health for the entire body. The book describes the skin?s function as one of the body?s major organs and shows how to use touch and massage on the pressure points in the face to improve the appearance of the skin and the health of the other organs. These simple techniques, some used in conjunction with essential oils, take just minutes to do and are easy to include in regular morning routines like putting on makeup or applying moisturizer. Breathing exercises, rountines for specific problems, and affirmations to rid the body and mind of toxins round out the book.
Ancient Secrets of the Fountain of Youth
by Peter KelderLegend has it that hidden in the remote reaches of the Himalayan mountains lies a secret that would have saved Ponce de Leon from years of fruitless searching. There, generations of Tibetan monks have passed down a series of exercises with mystical, age-reversing properties. Known as the Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation or the Five Rites, these once-secret exercises are now available to Westerners inAncient Secret of the Fountain Of Youth. Peter Kelder's book begins with an account of his own introduction to the rites by way of Colonel Bradford, a mysterious retired British army officer who learned of the rites while journeying high up in the Himalayas. Fountain of Youththen offers practical instructions for each of the five rites, which resemble yoga postures. Taking just minutes a day to perform, the benefits for practitioners have included increased energy, weight loss, better memory, new hair growth, pain relief, better digestion, and just feeling younger.
Ancient Sedimentary Environments: And Their Sub-surface Diagnosis
by Selley, Richard C.This edition retains the case history approach to emphasize the subsurface diagnosis of environments using seismic and geophysical well logs and their application to petroleum exploration and production. This book should be of interest to undergraduates in sedimentology and petroleum geology.
Ancient Skies: Constellation Mythology Of The Greeks
by David Weston MarshallLook to the sky and see the stories in the stars The stars and constellations are among the few remaining objects that appear to us just as they appeared to our distant ancestors. From anywhere on Earth, a person may view the celestial panorama simply by stepping outside at night and gazing upward. This non- fiction narrative presents the tales of the forty- eight classical constellations, compiled from literature spanning a thousand years from Homer (c. 800 BC) to Claudius Ptolemy (c. 150 AD). These age- old tales have captured the human imagination from ancient times to the present, and through them we can examine the early practical astronomy, philosophical speculation on the cosmos, and fundamental moral beliefs of much of Western civilization. Illustrations and star charts carefully reconstructed from ancient sources lend a visual element and immerse the reader in the world of ancient cosmology and constellation mapping. Through Marshall’s research and storytelling, Ancient Skies brings the belief systems of the classical world to shining life.
Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts
by Christy CobbAn essential resource for understanding slavery in the New Testament and early Christianity Slavery permeated society in the ancient world. The realities of slavery and its shadows pervade the New Testament and other early Christian texts. Yet enslavement remains an under-taught aspect of the context of the New Testament and early Christianity. Because of this, readers are left with numerous questions about ancient slavery. How did people become enslaved? What kinds of work did enslaved people do? Who enslaved people? How did ancient slavery compare with more contemporary enslavement eras? Did anyone in the ancient world criticize slavery? Was ancient slavery racialized? Did Christians have a different understanding of slavery than others? These are just some of the questions students ask in higher education and in Bible study classrooms alike. This volume takes on these questions, introducing students to the textures, complexities, and material realities of slavery in the Greco-Roman world. Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts draws on the expertise of scholars around the world with a focus on introductory information, accessibility, and readability. It does not attempt to dismiss or downplay the role of New Testament texts in the perpetuation of either ancient slavery or slavery in the North American context. Rather, the volume helps students and teachers alike wrestle with the ongoing historical, theological, and ethical legacies of slavery in their own faith formation and engagement with the biblical text.
Ancient Sounds for a New Age: An Introduction to Himalayan Sacred Sound Instruments
by Diáne MandleAncient Sounds for a New Age is an introduction to and overview of sound healing with Himalayan instruments. It offers a clear idea of what is needed to learn and practice for anyone who decides to enter the field, and serves as an instructional tool to that end. Diáne has combined techniques from other fields that have proven very effective for her clients and describe these in the book. As an extra bonus, exclusive access to a digital one-hour instructional video is included to demonstrate Diáne’s methods as a practitioner. The book is organized in five parts. The first, Part I: Fundamentals of Sound Healing, offers an orientation to the work. Part II: The Sacred Sound Family, teaches about the sound healing instruments—the tingshas, the ganta and dorje, and the Himalayan bowls—and the author takes you through some basic configurations for working with multiple instruments. Part III: Sound Healing and the Chakras, offers a breakdown of techniques and principles for working with the body’s main energy centers, the chakras. Part IV: Working with Challenging Emotions, offers brief orientations to working with anxiety and depression, dedicating one chapter to each. The last main section of the book, Part V: Enhancing Your Practice, concerns ways to include other modalities in a sound healing session, and the author shares some that have worked well in her own practice. Diane explores colors and toning, power language, and visualization, reminding the reader, “In learning to practice sound healing, we are aspiring to become more than technicians who can play the instruments—we are developing into healers.” Additionally, several Appendices include: thumbnail profiles of some sound healing pioneers, an interesting case study, some client testimonials, and further resources, including information about Diane’s school and some of the classes and products offered. “Diáne Mandle is the preeminent voice in the field of Tibetan bowl sound healing. Her book, Ancient Sounds for the New Age, offers a platform of deep understanding on which a practical skill set can be easily built upon. This is what the emerging field of sound healing has been waiting for. There is no doubt that it will soon be recognized as the go-to resource for serious vibrational practitioners.”—Richard Rudis (Karma Sonam Dorje) “Diane Mandle's Tibetan Bowels were part of the Integrative Medical Care offered at the San Diego Cancer and Research Institute. Our patients found her sounds magical, therapeutic, meditative and leading to an inner sense of peace and well-being.” —Paul Brenner M.D, PhD “In Ancient Sounds for a New Age, Diane reveals how to use the Tibetan bowls, tingshas, ganta, and dorgje to transform problems into doorways of light. I've personally experienced her ability to awaken the music of the soul and open to the blessings of harmony, and now with this indispensable book, you can too.”—Cyndi Dale, Intuitive, healer, and author of many bestselling books including The Subtle Body, The Intuition Guidebook, The Complete Book of Chakras, Energetic Boundaries
Ancient South America
by Karen Olsen BruhnsAncient South America, 2nd edition features the full panorama of the South American past from the first inhabitants to the European invasions Isolated for all of prehistory and much of history, the continent witnessed the rise of cultures and advanced civilizations rivalling those of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Independently of developments elsewhere, South American peoples invented agriculture, domesticated animals, and created pottery, elaborate architecture, and the arts of working metals. Tribes, chiefdoms, and immense conquest states rose, flourished, and disappeared, leaving only their ruined monuments and broken artifacts as testimonials to past greatness. This new edition is completely revised and updated to reflect archaeological discoveries and insights made in the past three decades. Incorporating new findings on northern and eastern lowlands, and discussions of the first civilizations, it also examines the first inhabitants of Brazil and Patagonia as well as the Andes. Accessibly written and abundantly illustration, the volume also includes chronological charts and new examples.
Ancient Southeast Asia (Routledge World Archaeology)
by John Norman Miksic Goh Geok YianAncient Southeast Asia provides readers with a much needed synthesis of the latest discoveries and research in the archaeology of the region, presenting the evolution of complex societies in Southeast Asia from the protohistoric period, beginning around 500BC, to the arrival of British and Dutch colonists in 1600. Well-illustrated throughout, this comprehensive account explores the factors which established Southeast Asia as an area of unique cultural fusion. Miksic and Goh explore how the local population exploited the abundant resources available, developing maritime transport routes which resulted in economic and cultural wealth, including some of the most elaborate art styles and monumental complexes ever constructed. The book’s broad geographical and temporal coverage, including a chapter on the natural environment, provides readers with the context needed to understand this staggeringly diverse region. It utilizes French, Dutch, Chinese, Malay-Indonesian and Burmese sources and synthesizes interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and data from archaeology, history and art history. Offering key opportunities for comparative research with other centres of early socio-economic complexity, Ancient Southeast Asia establishes the area’s importance in world history.
Ancient Southeast Mesoamerica: Political Economies without the State (Case Studies in Early Societies)
by Patricia A. Urban Edward M. SchortmanAncient Southeast Mesoamerica explores the distinctive development and political history of the region from its earliest inhabitants up to the Spanish conquest. It was composed of a matrix of social networks rather than divided by distinct cultures and domains. Making use of the area's rich archaeological data, Edward Schortman and Patricia Urban provide a social network analysis of southeast Mesoamerica. They demonstrate how inhabitants from different locales were organized within such networks, and how they mobilized the assets that they needed to define and achieve their own goals. The also provide evidence for the actions of other groups, who sought to promote their importance at local and regional scales, and often opposed those efforts. Schortman and Urban's study demonstrates the fresh insights gained from study of socio-political structures via a social network perspective. It also challenges models that privilege the influence of powerful leaders in shaping those structures.
Ancient Southwestern Mortuary Practices
by James T. Watson Gordon F. M. RakitaAncient Southwestern Mortuary Practices chronicles the modal patterns, diversity, and change of ancient mortuary practices from across the US Southwest and northwest Mexico over four thousand years of Prehispanic occupation. The volume summarizes new methodological approaches and theoretical issues concerning the meaning and importance of burial practices to different peoples at different times throughout the ancient Greater Southwest. Chapters focus on normative mortuary patterns, the range of variability of mortuary patterns, how the contexts of burials reflect temporal shifts in ideology, and the ways in which mortuary rituals, behaviors, and funerary treatments fulfill specific societal needs and reflect societal beliefs. Contributors analyze extensive datasets—archived and accessible on the Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR)—from various subregions, structurally standardized and integrated with respect to biological and cultural data. Ancient Southwestern Mortuary Practices, together with the full datasets preserved in tDAR, is a rich resource for comparative research on mortuary ritual for indigenous descendant groups, cultural resource managers, and archaeologists and bioarchaeologists in the Greater Southwest and other regions. Contributors: Nancy J. Akins, Jessica I. Cerezo-Román, Mona C. Charles, Patricia A. Gilman, Lynne Goldstein, Alison K. Livesay, Dawn Mulhern, Ann Stodder, M. Scott Thompson, Sharon Wester, Catrina Banks Whitley
Ancient Starch Research
by Robin Torrence Huw BartonWhat role did plant resources have in the evolution of the human species? Why and how have plants been managed and transported to new environments? Where, how, and why were plants domesticated, and why do the patterns vary in different parts of the world? What is the relationship between the intensification of food production and the rise of complex societies? Numerous new studies are using starch granules discovered in archaeological contexts to answer these questions and improve our knowledge of past human behavior and environmental variation. Given the substantial body of successful research, the time has clearly come for a comprehensive description of ancient starch research and its potential for archaeologists. This book fills these roles by describing the fundamental principles underlying starch research, guiding researchers through the methodology, reviewing the results of significant case studies, and pointing the way to future avenues for research. The joint product of over two dozen archaeological scientists, Ancient Starch Research aims to bring the important new field of ancient starch analysis to the attention of a wider range of scholars and to provide them with the information needed to embark on their own research.
Ancient Syracuse: From Foundation to Fourth Century Collapse
by Richard EvansSyracuse possesses a unique place in the history of the ancient Mediterranean because of its contribution to Greek culture and political thought and practice. Even in the first century BC Cicero could still declare ’You have often heard that of all the Greek cities Syracuse is the greatest and most beautiful.’ Sicily’s strategic location in the Mediterranean brought the city prosperity and power, placing it in the first rank of states in the ancient world. The history and governance of the city were recorded from the fifth century BC and the volume of literary sources comes close to matching the records of Athens or Rome. Combining literary and material evidence this monograph traces the history of Syracuse, offering new arguments about the date of the city’s foundation, and continues through the fifth century when, as a democracy, Syracuse’s military strength grew to equal that of Athens or Sparta, surpassing them in the early fourth century under the tyrant Dionysius I. From ca. 350 BC, however, the city’s fortunes declined as the state was wracked with civil strife as the tyranny lost control. The result was a collapse so serious that the city faced complete and imminent destruction.
Ancient Taboos and Gender Prejudice: Challenges for Orthodox Women and the Church (Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies)
by Leonie B. LiverisThis book explores the struggling genesis of a women's movement in the Orthodox Church through the ecumenical movement of the twentieth century at a time when militant conservatism is emerging in Orthodox countries and fundamentalism in the diaspora. Offering an understanding of the participation of women in the Orthodox Church, particularly during the 50 years of the membership of the Orthodox churches in the World Council of Churches, this book contributes to the ongoing debates and feminist analysis of women's participation, ministry and sexuality in the life and practice of the Church universal. The book reveals both the positive contributions to ecumenism and the difficulties confronting Orthodox women wishing to participate more fully in the leadership and ministry of their church.