Jill Baker - Technology of the Ancient Near East: From the Neolithic to the Early Roman Period

TECHNOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

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

Peoples of the distant past lived comfortably in cities that boasted well-conceived urban planning, monumental architecture, running water, artistic expression, knowledge of mathematics and medicine, and more. Without the benefits of modern technology, they enjoyed all the accoutrements of modern civilization.

Technology of the Ancient Near East brings together in a single volume what is known about the technology behind these achievements, based on the archaeological, textual, historic, and scientific data drawn from a wide range of sources, focusing on subjects such as warfare, construction, metallurgy, ceramics and glass, water management, and time keeping. These technologies are discussed within the cultural, historic, and socio-economic contexts within which they were invented and the book emphasises these as the foundation upon which modern technology is based. In so doing, this study elucidates the ingenuity of ancient minds, offering an invaluable introduction for students of ancient technology and science.

Jill 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.

First published 2019

by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

and by Routledge

711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2019 Jill Baker

The right of Jill Baker to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Baker, Jill L., 1964- author.

Title: Technology of the ancient Near East: from the neolithic to the early Roman period / Jill Baker.

Description: Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018008047 (print) | LCCN 2018012061 (ebook) | ISBN 9781351188111 (ebook) | ISBN 9781351188104 (web pdf) | ISBN 9781351188098 (epub) | ISBN 9781351188081 (mobi/kindle) | ISBN 9780815393689 | ISBN 9780815393689q (hardback:qalk. paper) | ISBN 9780815393696q (pbk.: qalk. paper) | ISBN 9781351188111q (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: TechnologyMiddle EastHistory. | Middle EastAntiquities.

Classification: LCC T16 (ebook) | LCC T16.B35 2018 (print) | DDC 609.394dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018008047

ISBN: 978-0-8153-9368-9 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-0-8153-9369-6 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-351-18811-1 (ebk)

Typeset in Bembo

by Sunrise Setting Ltd, Brixham, UK

CONTENTS

This book has been a work-in-progress for a long time. The inspiration for this volume comes from my fascination with modern technology and by moments of invention and innovation among ancient peoples. Eventually, my fascination grew into a large body of research, then a class, and now, finally, a book. I hope those who read this book will be inspired by ancient peoples knowledge and application of science and technology. I have been.

Numerous people have accompanied me along the way, offering their support and useful and creative thoughts. I am grateful for their involvement in this work. To the Routledge referees, I am grateful for and appreciate your constructive comments and useful suggestions. You have made this work stronger. To C. Chapman, S. Cohen, and S. Gitin, who read early drafts of the manuscript, I am grateful for and appreciate your support, ideas, and constructive comments. You have helped to shape this work, making it stronger and well rounded. To Janet Angelo of IndieGo Publishing, I am deeply thankful for your detailed, diligent, and creative editing. Your thoughts and suggestions have contributed much to this work. To the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, to the Directors (Emeritus and current), to the Library Staff, and to the Staff, I am grateful for use of the library and for accommodation and meals; you provided a productive and collegiate base camp from which to conduct research. To Archaeological Horizons, Inc. thank you for providing a travel grant, making research for this book possible. To L. Northup, Honors College, Florida International University, thank you for the opportunity to share the ingenuity of ancient peoples with modern students. To the FIU Honors College students who have taken my class, I am grateful for your enthusiasm, curiosity, and insightful questions. You have been inspiring and thought provoking. I am also grateful to friends and colleagues, especially S. Cohen and S. Gitin, for friendly but useful banter and professional advice regarding the mechanics of the manuscript. Any inaccuracies in this work are my own.

Finally, but not least, I am deeply grateful to my family for their unconditional support, especially to my husband, J. Tidy, who has been supportive and patient while I have been in the zone. This book is dedicated to you all.

MAP 1 Depicting the major regions of the ancient Near East and eastern Mediterranean

Adapted from GoogleMaps.

MAP 2 Select sites and kingdoms in Mesopotamia

Adapted from GoogleMaps.

MAP 3 Select sites in ancient Egypt

Adapted from GoogleMaps.

MAP 4 Select sites in Canaan/ancient Israel

Adapted from GoogleMaps.