By John W. Humphrey
Since precedent days, technological advances have elevated man's percentages for survival. From the practicality of a Roman aqueduct to the artwork of the written note, guy has continually tailored his surroundings to satisfy his wishes, and to supply himself with sustenance, convenience, convenience, relaxation, a better caliber of residing, and a thriving tradition. This concise reference resource takes a better examine six technological occasions that considerably impacted the evolution of civilization, from the Palaeolithic age to the peak of the Roman Empire. As he touches at the universal components of old technology―energy, machines, mining, metallurgy, ceramics, agriculture, engineering, transportation, and communication―Humphrey asks questions relevant to knowing the effect of historical instruments at the smooth international: What activates swap? What cultural traditions inhibit switch? What impact do those alterations have on their societies and civilization?
Humphrey explores applied sciences as either actual instruments and as extensions of the human physique, starting with the discovery of the Greek alphabet and together with such accomplishments as early Neolithic plant cultivation, the discovery of coinage, the development of the Parthenon, and Rome's city water approach. particular line drawings of instruments and machines make historic mechanics extra simply obtainable. basic records, word list, biographies, and a timeline courting from the Palaeolithic age to the Roman Empire around out the paintings, making this a terrific reference resource for knowing the instruments of the traditional world.