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 Traces Of The PastUnraveling The Secrets Of Archaeology Through Chemistryby Joseph B. Lambert Sep 22, 1998
DescriptionWhere Stonehenge’s giant bluestones come from? Was the fall of the Roman Empire hastened by lead poisoning? How did amber get from the Baltic to Belize? In exploring these and other historical enigmas, Joseph Lambert expertly details the rich insights into ancient life that chemistry alone can provide. Using cutting-edge scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis, and elemental fingerprinting, acclaimed chemist Joseph Lambert expertly details the rich insights into ancient life that chemistry alone can provide. He shows, for example, how investigators today can determine the diet of prehistoric Europeans, the geographical origin of the marble in a Greek statue, or the reason why the Liberty Bell cracked. He uses nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to reconstruct ancient trade routes, and X-ray diffraction, among other methods, to compare the color palettes of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians (the latter were apparently much more flamboyant). He explains how chemical analysis of DNA can be used to sort out human lineages and migratory patterns—demographic trends that affected, in turn, everything from language to the spread of disease. Chemistry takes center stage in this fascinating book, proving that it is not just an analyst of culture, it stands as one of its primary creators. Lambert offers us a unique glimpse into a form of technical progress hitherto unappreciated: the ever-increasing ingenuity of the Human race, as seen through the prism of its evolving chemical sophistication. We discover how primitive chemistry was initially used by ancient people as a tool to improve their daily lives, a feat that was achieved by reworking molecules of clay into pottery and minerals into metal alloys, and by turning grains into beer and pitch into sealants. By documenting the way ancient people manipulated their environment chemically, Lambert further refines the distinguishing feature of our species. Early humans were more than tool-makers. They were molecular transformers. Reviews“A double sense of wonder comes over you when you read this book—first, at the marvelous practical chemistries that people came up with centuries, indeed millennia, before there was the science of chemistry; second, at the sheer ingenuity of chemists today as they probe the cultural artifacts of the past. There is chemistry galore in culture, as Joseph Lambert so readably shows.” “In Joseph Lambert’s book, chemistry’s numerous applications to art and archaeology read as so many whodunits.” “An uncommonly interesting book.” “As in introduction to chemistry (and often physics) in the service of archaeology, this is hard to beat.” “A distinguished contribution … Lambert opens a window to a kaleidoscopic view of chemical applications.… Up-to-date and comprehensive … [with] many charming vignettes and etymological asides.” “The best book on chemical archaeology now in print.” “We are educated with grace and wit, not only by eloquent studies but also by Lambert’s own engaging and cogent writing.… This remarkable book has a ‘Holmes and Watson’ quality—the cooperative sleuthing by archaeological and physical scientists who, as collaborators, enlighten us about our human ancestors, their cultures, and behaviors.” Selling TerritoryWorld |
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