Livre - Trees and timber in the ancient Mediterranean world

B 5077

Description

Livre

Clarendon Press

Meiggs Russell 1902 - 1989

Presentation materielle : 1 vol. (XVIII-553-[2] p.-[16] p. de pl.)

Dimensions : 23 cm

Though wood was a basic need in the ancient world and remained the main source of energy until the industrial revolution, this is the first comprehensive study of timber supply and demand in the Near East and in the world of Greece and Rome. From a wide range of literary, epigraphic, and archaeological sources changing patterns are followed in their historical setting. The needs of fleets and armies, of building and agriculture, of sculpture and furniture, are examined in separate chapters, and a tentative outline is drawn of the structure of the timber trade, with special emphasis on transport. The part played by Greece and Rome in deforestation is shown to be widely exaggerated, and the cedars of Lebanon are restored to their pride of place among exports to Egypt as well as to Mesopotamia. Russell Meiggs was a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and University Lecturer in Ancient History from 1939-1970, except for a period during the 1939-45 war during which he served as Chief Labour Officer in the Ministry of Supply, Home Timber Production. He is now an Honorary Fellow of the College. His publications include Home Timber Production 1935-1945, Roman Ostia, The Athenian Empire, the fourth edition of J. B. Bury’s History of Greece, and (with D. M. Lewis) A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions.

List of Plates, xiii List of Figures, xv Abbreviations, xvi Introduction, p. 1 1. The Nature of the Evidence, p. 13 2. Mediterranean Forests, p. 39 3. The Cedars of Lebanon, p. 49 4. Bronze Age Palaces and Homer, p. 88 5. Forests and Fleets, p. 116 6. Timber for Armies, p. 154 7. Athenian Timber Supplies, p. 188 8. The City of Rome’s Timber Supplies, p. 218 9. Farms, Parks, and Gardens, p. 260 10. Furniture Woods, p. 279 11. Woods for Sculpture, p. 300 12. The Timber Trade, p. 325 13. Deforestation, p. 371 Appendices 1. Woods from Egypt in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, p. 404 2. Egyptian Ash-wood 3. Confusion of Species: 1. Cedar and Juniper 2. Cypress and Juniper in Hebrew and Assyrian Texts 3. Chestnut and Walnut 4. Picea 2. Egyptian Ash-wood, p. 405 3. Confusion of Species: 1. Cedar and Juniper, p. 410 2. Cypress and Juniper in Hebrew and Assyrian Texts, p. 416 3. Chestnut and Walnut, p. 420 4. Picea, p. 422 4. Temple Commissioners’ Accounts: 1. The Epidaurus Accounts, p. 423 2. Temple Accounts from Delphi, p. 430 3. The Accounts of the Eleusinian Commissioners for 329/8 BC (IC 22. 1672), p. 433 4. The Delian Accounts, p. 441 5. A Royal Tomb at Gordium, p. 458 6. The Forests ofsouth Italy, p. 462 7. Pitch, p. 467 8. Tall Trees and Long Timbers, p. 472 9. Measures, Coins, Weights, p. 478 Notes on Text, p. 481 Notes on Appendices, p. 520 Notes on the Plates, p. 524 Addenda, p. 528 Bibliography, p. 531 Index of Trees and their Woods, p. 539 Select Index of References to Classical Authors, p. 541 Index of Passages from the Bible, p. 543 Index of Inscriptions, p. 544 General Index, p. 545

Autre tirage : 1984, 1998. Bibliogr. p. [531]-538. Index.