Table of Contents

List of Figures; Acknowledgements; Maps; Chronology of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Canaan, and Greece; Chapter 1 Introduction; Chapter 2 Early Technologies; Chapter 3 Stone; Chapter 4 Wood; Chapter 5 Metals; Chapter 6 Bonding Agents: Glue, Plaster, Mortar, Cement, Bitumen; Chapter 7 Engineering, Machines, Power, and Energy; Chapter 8 Construction; Chapter 9 Warfare; Chapter 10 Textiles; Chapter 11 Ceramic and Glass Technology; Chapter 12 Water Management and Technology; Chapter 13 Medicine; Chapter 14 Daily Life; Chapter 15 Transportation; Chapter 16 Timekeeping; Chapter 17 Food as Technology; Chapter 18 Writing, Arts, Weights, Measures, and Currency; Chapter 19 Summary and Discussion ; Bibliography; Index

About the Author

Jill L. Baker is an Independent Researcher in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and a Faculty Fellow (adjunct) in the Honors College at Florida International University, USA. She is the author of The Funeral Kit: Mortuary Practices in the Archaeological Record and co-author of The Greensboro Blockhouse Project: An Historical and Archaeological Investigation in Greensboro, Vermont.

Reviews

"In this conversationally engaging volume, Baker has deftly collected the many materials, machines, and technological applications that defined and enriched the lives of those dwelling in the Ancient Near East into the Roman Era. Based firmly on a wide array of literary, artistic, and archaeological sources, Technology of the Ancient Near East provides an essential piece of the puzzle of the society, culture, and history of the region, and it fills a longstanding gap on the bookshelves of all who are interested in the history of technology, ideas, and the human quest to manipulate the natural world."- Georgia Irby, The College of William and Mary, USA

"In this conversationally engaging volume, Baker has deftly collected the many materials, machines, and technological applications that defined and enriched the lives of those dwelling in the Ancient Near East into the Roman Era. Based firmly on a wide array of literary, artistic, and archaeological sources, Technology of the Ancient Near East provides an essential piece of the puzzle of the society, culture, and history of the region, and it fills a longstanding gap on the bookshelves of all who are interested in the history of technology, ideas, and the human quest to manipulate the natural world." - Georgia Irby, The College of William and Mary, USA"Baker should be commended not only for bringing attention to technologies from the Near East, but also for highlighting different types of technologies that had an impact on daily life... this textbook is a valuable addition to the fields of ancient technology, Near Eastern studies and archaeology, and I intend to assigns sections of it in my own ancient technology courses." - The Classical Journal"An aspect of the book that will stimulate students is Baker’s consistent effort to highlight the relevance of studying ancient technologies. She does this by drawing parallels with modern techniques and tools and by tracing the long history of the use of certain materials. She also reflects on how the media and educational programming like the Discovery Channel episodes have framed the modern public’s ideas about ancient technologies. Overall, the book is a useful starting point for students interested in learning about the materials and technologies of the Bronze and Iron ages in the Near East." - Bryn Mawr Classical Review