New in Ancient History books this week!
The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean
Cline, Eric H.
Oxford Handbooks (January 1, 2012)
?Summary:The Greek Bronze Age, roughly 3000 to 1000 BC, witnessed the flourishing of the Minoan and Mycenean civilizations, the earliest expansion of trade in the Aegean and wider Mediterranean Sea, the development of artistic techniques in a variety of media, and the evolution of early Greek religious practices and mythology. The period also witnessed a violent conflict in Asia Minor between warring peoples in the region, a conflict commonly believed to be the historical basis for Homer’s Trojan War. The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean provides a detailed survey of these fascinating aspects of the period, and many others, in sixty-six newly commissioned articles. Divided into four sections, the handbook begins with Background and Definitions, which contains articles establishing the discipline in its historical, geographical, and chronological settings and in its relation to other disciplines. The second section, Chronology and Geography, contains articles examining the Bronze Age Aegean by chronological period (Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age). Each of the periods are further subdivided geographically, so that individual articles are concerned with Mainland Greece during the Early Bronze Age, Crete during the Early Bronze Age, the Cycladic Islands during the Early Bronze Age, and the same for the Middle Bronze Age, followed by the Late Bronze Age. The third section, Thematic and Specific Topics, includes articles examining thematic topics that cannot be done justice in a strictly chronological/geographical treatment, including religion, state and society, trade, warfare, pottery, writing, and burial customs, as well as specific events, such as the eruption of Santorini and the Trojan War. The fourth section, Specific Sites and Areas, contains articles examining the most important regions and sites in the Bronze Age Aegean, including Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Knossos, Kommos, Rhodes, the northern Aegean, and the Uluburun shipwreck, as well as adjacent areas such as the Levant, Egypt, and the western Mediterranean. Containing new work by an international team of experts, The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean represents the most comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date single-volume survey of the field. It will be indispensable for scholars and advanced students alike. ???
Roman Toilets: Their Archaeology and Cultural History
G C M Jansen (Editor), Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow (Editor), Eric M Moormann (Editor)
Peeters Publishers; Supplement edition (December 31, 2011)
Summary:Multi-seater latrines, as we find them in Roman Ostia and in many other sites across the Mediterranean, are well known both to tourists and archaeologists, but very few people understand how they really functioned technically or how they may have been perceived in the context of Roman society. This handbook by an international group of specialists in archaeology, anthropology, and classical literature addresses a wide variety of questions regarding toilets in the Greco-Roman world. Chapters on the technology and construction of toilets, on the archaeology of toilets and their contents, on toilets in various ancient contexts (such as in private houses, baths, or military installations), on the impact of toilets on society and personal hygiene, especially in the Roman world, and on the decorations and graffiti from toilets, all combine to make this the most complete study of this important subject to date.
Life in Roman London
Webb, Simon
The History Press (January 1, 2012)
Summary: The rise and fall of one of the most important Roman cities in northern Europe is charted graphically by the use of maps and diagrams, showing at a glance the various stages in its development. Rather than focusing upon a handful of important figures such as procurators and statesmen, this book explores the lives and concerns of the ordinary citizens. Many books about Roman history seem to be preoccupied with basilicas, palaces, grand houses, statues, and mosaics; this book looks instead at the shops, houses, and streets in which the majority of the 60,000 inhabitants of the city spent their lives. In doing so, it reveals a city very different from the familiar images of a clean, white, classical metropolis.
Running the Roman Home
Croom, Alexandra
The History Press (January 1, 2012)
Summary: The first in-depth look at life on Rome’s domestic frontier explores the effort required every day to run a Roman household This work considers the three elements of housework
