Sarah Bond

Discover the fascinating history of debt and its impact on human society with this eye-opening book. Anthropologist David Graeber shows that credit systems were used for thousands of years before the invention of money, and that arguments about debt have sparked political debates and insurrections throughout history. Graeber's insights shed light on our modern economic struggles and reveal how ancient debates about debt continue to shape our ideas about right and wrong.

Explore the economic life of the ancient world with this insightful book. Delve into the economic processes and fluctuations of ancient times and discover how they relate to political and social change, and conditions. Leading experts provide valuable insights on central issues, from agricultural production to the creation of markets. This interdisciplinary perspective draws on literary, ecological, and archaeological evidence to provide a comprehensive guide to the subject. A must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the ancient economy.

The fourteen essays in this work examine late antique lot divination in the Mediterranean world, employing the overlapping perspectives of religious studies, classics, anthropology, economics, and history....

Explore the fascinating world of history and memory with this insightful book. Author David Lowenthal delves into how society celebrates, contests, and shapes the past to serve present needs. He reveals how nostalgia and heritage are now ingrained in our culture, with history extending beyond humanity to encompass nature and the cosmos. Lowenthal addresses new insights into bias and objectivity, identity and authenticity, and remorse and contrition, making this an essential read for anyone interested in the past and how it is shaped for the future.

Explore the world of birds in ancient times with this fascinating book. From their physical presence in daily life to their place in myths, folklore, and rituals, Birds in the Ancient World: Winged Words captures the many roles birds played in ancient societies. With over a hundred translations of classical Greek and Roman texts and nearly a hundred illustrations, readers will gain insight into birds as indicators of time, weather, and seasons, as resources for hunting, medicine, and farming, and even as pets and entertainments. Join author Jeremy Mynott on a journey of discovery through the fascinating cultural history of birds in the ancient world.

Explore the history of slavery and social injustice in antiquity and late antiquity in Social Justice and the Legitimacy of Slavery. Ilaria L. E. Ramelli delves into the moral and philosophical views surrounding these practices, showing that definitive condemnations of slavery and social injustice existed. Ramelli investigates ancient philosophy, Judaism, Christianity, and asceticism to provide a comprehensive analysis of the topic. Discover the interconnection between theory and practice in the arguments against slavery and social injustice presented by ancient and patristic philosophers.

Explore the fascinating history of the Silk Road, a network of ancient trade routes connecting East Asia with the Mediterranean world. Discover how the interdependence and conflicts between agricultural China and steppe nomads during the Han Dynasty led to the establishment of this complex exchange system. Learn about the goods, including silk, fragrances, spices, and gems, that were traded along this route, which survived the fall of empires and reached its golden age during the early middle age. Using supply and demand as the framework, this book examines the cultural forces underlying material transactions, illustrating the interconnections of the diverse participants in the transcontinental Silk Road exchange. Discover how the world was linked through economic and ideological forces long before the modern era.

"The Lure of the Arena" explores the captivating phenomenon of why thousands of Romans flocked to watch brutal gladiatorial games. Rather than theorizing about the cultural function of the arena, the author delves into the social-psychological dynamics that attract individuals to public rituals of violence. This book provides a fascinating insight not only into the Roman games but also into ourselves and our own attraction to such events.

Discover the untold story of an American icon with Black Samson. In this powerful book, Nyasha Junior and Jeremy Schipper explore how African Americans associated Samson with their fight against racial oppression. Schipper and Junior introduce readers to inspiring historical figures such as Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, and Malcolm X, revealing how invoking the biblical character of Samson became a powerful tool for African American activists and artists. This provocative book delves into our nation's contested racial history and the enduring impact of an iconic hero.

Explore the vital role of tabernae - food and drink outlets - in ancient Roman cities with this richly researched and interdisciplinary investigation. Through a critical analysis of archaeological and textual sources, the book unveils the historical development of Roman retail landscapes, identifying three major waves or revolutions in the shaping of the city. This original and insightful volume draws from recent excavations of a Pompeian neighborhood and a field survey of more than 100 Roman cities, providing a fresh perspective on the lives of the Roman sub-elite and the evolution of urbanism in ancient Rome.