by John Humphrey (Author)

Since ancient times, technological advances have increased man's chances for survival. From the practicality of a Roman aqueduct to the art of the written word, man has always adapted his environment to meet his needs, and to provide himself with sustenance, comfort, comfort, leisure, a higher quality of living, and a thriving culture. This concise reference source takes a closer look at six technological events that significantly impacted the evolution of civilization, from the Palaeolithic age to the height of the Roman Empire. As he touches on the common elements of ancient technology--energy, machines, mining, metallurgy, ceramics, agriculture, engineering, transportation, and communication--Humphrey asks questions central to understanding the impact of ancient tools on the modern world: What prompts change? What cultural traditions inhibit change? What effect do these changes have on their societies and civilization?

Author Biography

JOHN W. HUMPHREY is a Roman historian and archaeologist at the University of Calgary. He is co-author of Greek and Roman Technology: A Sourcebook (1998), a volume of translated and annotated ancient texts that describe the technical history of the Greeks and Romans. He has excavated at four sites in Greece and Turkey, and has traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean, studying and photographing contemporary examples of ancient technologies.

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