This one's a stumper.
Posted on 08/09/2008 7:10:35 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
'Tracing Networks' combines archaeology, archaeological science and computer science to investigate networks across and beyond the Mediterranean region, encompassing Greek, Punic and other peoples, from the late bronze age through classical times (c.1500-c.200 BCE).
The research focuses on crafts-people, asking how and why traditions, techniques and technologies changed and crossed cultural boundaries. The period under investigation saw major developments, including the emergence of states, involving new ways of organising production and consumption.
Professor Foxhall commented: "We look at objects ranging from cooking wares and coins to wall paintings and loom weights. We trace the links between the people who made, used, and taught others to make them.
"By investigating many crafts, we explore the impact different technologies had on each other. For example, making a cooking pot isn't so easy -- how do craft workers come up with good 'recipes', shapes, and firing techniques for making convenient heat-resistant pottery.
"Where do they source their materials and sell their wares; and how do the recipes themselves travel, change, and improve?"
The researchers will apply their understanding of knowledge transfer in antiquity to propose new computing paradigms based on code and data mobility over wide area networks (usually known as global ubiquitous computing).
(Excerpt) Read more at alphagalileo.org ...
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To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. |
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This one's a stumper.
British tax dollars, anyway...
It started with a hungry person who had hamburger but nothing to cook it on ... except a waffle iron...
As a freelance history type, I started doing this a long time ago, when I realized how the historians didn’t realize the impact of the introduction of horizontal loom technology in 10th century Flanders impacted the cloth industry, which in turn drove the rebirth of trade based on high value woolen cloth in the 11th and 12th centuries...without the horizontal loom, one would not have had the broad cloth loom. Without broadcloth and other luxury goods, one wouldn’t have had the revival of trade and the creation of trade fairs, and the rise of the Italian banking houses and possibly the invention of double entry bookkeeping. Etc. Etc.
It’s all linked - how people live their lives, why they live their lives the way they do, what they believe about the nature of things and the arts, power politics and social mores. And it’s useful (and from my pov fun) to study things that way.
It’s like the PBS “Connections” series. It was fascinating. Learn how a jaquard loom was a precursor to a computer.
http://www.shoppbs.org/sm-pbs-connections-connections-3-dvd-5pk—pi-1450814.html
“Burke shows why the cobalt used to dye ancient Ming vases led to the development of computer chips”
I loved those first two Burke series, “Connections” and “The Day the Universe Changed”, but in later series (all of which are highly derivative of the first one or two) he comes off as a leftist lunkhead. :’)
Thanks, that was the first laugh I’ve had in days!
Thanks, but what I meant to say was:
"We look at objects ranging from cooking wares and coins to wall paintings and loom weights. We trace the links between the people who made, used, and taught others to make them.
Let's bury some of these and really mess with their minds..
I’m sure they’ll find that the objects had some ritual purpose, since so many are found which were never used or even removed from the carton...
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