Medicine in Ancient Civilizations

2005 ◽  
pp. 25-51
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Civilizations

Newton and the Origin of Civilization

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jed Z. Buchwald ◽  
Mordechai Feingold
Keyword(s):  
Good Reason ◽  
History Of Mathematics ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Ancient History ◽  
Isaac Newton ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ancient Civilizations ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
One Year ◽  
Radical Ideas

Isaac Newton’s Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended, published in 1728, one year after the great man’s death, unleashed a storm of controversy. And for good reason. The book presents a drastically revised timeline for ancient civilizations, contracting Greek history by five hundred years and Egypt’s by a millennium. This book tells the story of how one of the most celebrated figures in the history of mathematics, optics, and mechanics came to apply his unique ways of thinking to problems of history, theology, and mythology, and of how his radical ideas produced an uproar that reverberated in Europe’s learned circles throughout the eighteenth century and beyond. The book reveals the manner in which Newton strove for nearly half a century to rectify universal history by reading ancient texts through the lens of astronomy, and to create a tight theoretical system for interpreting the evolution of civilization on the basis of population dynamics. It was during Newton’s earliest years at Cambridge that he developed the core of his singular method for generating and working with trustworthy knowledge, which he applied to his study of the past with the same rigor he brought to his work in physics and mathematics. Drawing extensively on Newton’s unpublished papers and a host of other primary sources, the book reconciles Isaac Newton the rational scientist with Newton the natural philosopher, alchemist, theologian, and chronologist of ancient history.

Water Engineering in the Ancient World

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Ortloff
Keyword(s):  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Supply And Distribution ◽  
Modern Computer ◽  
Agricultural Water Supply ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Ancient Civilizations ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Current Concerns

Charles Ortloff provides a new perspective on archaeological studies of the urban and agricultural water supply and distribution systems of the major ancient civilizations of South America, the Middle East, and South-East Asia, by using modern computer analysis methods to extract the true hydraulic/hydrological knowledge base available to these peoples. His many new revelations about the capabilities and innovations of ancient water engineers force us to re-evaluate what was known and practised in the hydraulic sciences in ancient times. Given our current concerns about global warming and its effect on economic stability, it is fascinating to observe how some ancient civilizations successfully coped with major climate change events by devising defensive agricultural survival strategies, while others, which did not innovate, failed to survive.

scholarly journals Peppers: A “Hot” Natural Source for Antitumor Compounds

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1521
Author(s):  
Micael Rodrigues Cunha ◽  
Maurício Temotheo Tavares ◽  
Thais Batista Fernandes ◽  
Roberto Parise-Filho
Keyword(s):  
Cell Death ◽  
Cellular Responses ◽  
Biological Applications ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Cytotoxic Effects ◽  
Antiproliferative Effects ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Antitumor Compounds ◽  
Tumorigenic Cells ◽  
Ancient Civilizations

Piper, Capsicum, and Pimenta are the main genera of peppers consumed worldwide. The traditional use of peppers by either ancient civilizations or modern societies has raised interest in their biological applications, including cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects. Cellular responses upon treatment with isolated pepper-derived compounds involve mechanisms of cell death, especially through proapoptotic stimuli in tumorigenic cells. In this review, we highlight naturally occurring secondary metabolites of peppers with cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines. Available mechanisms of cell death, as well as the development of analogues, are also discussed.

General History of Africa, Vol. II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa

1981 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
J. Jeffrey Hoover ◽  
G. Mokhtar ◽  
UNESCO
Keyword(s):  
History Of ◽  
Ancient Civilizations

Wastewater management techniques from ancient civilizations to modern ages: examples from South Asia

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 719-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. F. Fardin ◽  
A. Hollé ◽  
E. Gautier ◽  
J. Haury
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
South India ◽  
Early History ◽  
Wastewater Management ◽  
Mediterranean Population ◽  
Grey Water ◽  
Black Water ◽  
Urban Zone ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
Ancient Civilizations

Wastewater management appeared about 3000 BC in South Asia, and spread on the whole subcontinent with the development of urbanization during its early history. Domestic grey water and black water were canalized through street-side drains, and cesspits was implemented at house outlet level, or at drain crossing, in order to avoid the clogging of the system. Nothing seems to be known about the ultimate place where the drains canalized wastewater. In South India, wastewater was managed previously to the 1st century AD, at the very same period as the presence of Mediterranean population on the subcontinent. But, we cannot confirm a Mediterranean influence on wastewater management, because of the previous development of several techniques in the region. In today rural Puducherry area, traditional techniques are used to manage wastewater, quite similar to the method used to treat wastewater of Puducherry urban zone.

scholarly journals The Healing Gods of Ancient Civilizations

1964 ◽  
Vol 120 (8) ◽  
pp. 824-a-826
Author(s):  
C. B. F.
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Civilizations

A 2000-year record of mercury and ancient civilizations in seal hairs from King George Island, West Antarctica

2006 ◽  
Vol 368 (1) ◽  
pp. 236-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liguang Sun ◽  
Xuebin Yin ◽  
Xiaodong Liu ◽  
Renbin Zhu ◽  
Zhouqing Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
King George Island ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Ancient Civilizations

Sicilian Manna: A Sweet Gift of Nature

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-40
Author(s):  
anna tasca lanza
Keyword(s):  
Special Technique ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The People ◽  
Fraxinus Angustifolia ◽  
Alcoholic Drinks ◽  
Ancient Civilizations ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Historical References ◽  
The Ideal

An Unusual Ingredient – Manna Manna, a gift from nature, comes from a kind of ash called “Fraxinus angustifolia” or “Fraxinus ornus” found in the surrounding areas of the towns of Castelbuono, Pollina and Cefalù (Italy). In the past, it was grown extensively in the Mediterranean basin though all traces of it seem to be lost. The history is pieced together with historical references from the Bible, health manuals from ancient civilizations, and references to the implements used to harvest it. Its mysterious or miraculous properties are presented; two kinds of manna were thought to exist, one from Heaven, and the other from a tree. The ideal conditions for growing the trees and harvest are described with plentiful folklore, local customs, special vocabulary and tools mentioned. Manna is harvested in summertime when the plant is “in love”, from June to September or until the first rains, which would dissolve it, start to fall. The people of Pollina romantically call manna, “a sweet gift of nature”. It tastes like honey mixed with carob. The sap flows through a gash made with a special technique, using a curved cutter called a “mannarolo,” on the vein of the trunk of the tree, and it is left to drip for several days. The sap crystallizes and forms long clumps similar to stalactites, which are called “cannolo” in the manna-world vocabulary. The juice is violet and very bitter when it drips, but the contact with the air and the strong Sicilian sun dries and sweetens it. “Cannoli” are harvested with an “archetto.” There is a second and third grade of sap, which doesn’t crystallize or form cannoli. Prickly-pear leaves act as a sort of spout to catch the manna. Its medicinal qualities include its mild laxative effect, its natural sweetness for dietary purposes, and its use in digestive alcoholic drinks and cosmetics is noted. It is sold at pharmacies and tobacco stores.

The Origins and Effectiveness of the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of War Victims

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (147) ◽  
pp. 283-290
Author(s):  
Ian Harding
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Human Dignity ◽  
Effective Protection ◽  
Geneva Conventions ◽  
Unpublished Work ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ancient Civilizations ◽  
War Victims

It gives us pleasure to publish extracts from a remarkable unpublished work by an Australian author, Ian Harding. In four chapters (Antiquity, Islam, Some European Developments, Henry Dunant) it covers the origins of the Geneva Conventions from ancient civilizations, and then goes on to explain their significance in international law and action (The Conventions, The Propositions, The Conclusions). The passages we quote below deal with the history of humanitarian ideas and the laborious efforts, repeated time and time again throughout the centuries, for the ever more effective protection of human dignity. (Ed.).

scholarly journals Climate change and the demise of Minoan civilization

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Tsonis ◽  
K. L. Swanson ◽  
G. Sugihara ◽  
P. A. Tsonis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
El Niño ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Climatic Trend ◽  
Geological Evidence ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
El Niño Events ◽  
Ancient Civilizations ◽  
El Nino Events

Abstract. Climate change has been implicated in the success and downfall of several ancient civilizations. Here we present a synthesis of historical, climatic, and geological evidence that supports the hypothesis that climate change may have been responsible for the slow demise of Minoan civilization. Using proxy ENSO and precipitation reconstruction data in the period 1650–1980 we present empirical and quantitative evidence that El Nino causes drier conditions in the area of Crete. This result is supported by modern data analysis as well as by model simulations. Though not very strong, the ENSO-Mediterranean drying signal appears to be robust, and its overall effect was accentuated by a series of unusually strong and long-lasting El Nino events during the time of the Minoan decline. Indeed, a change in the dynamics of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) system occurred around 3000 BC, which culminated in a series of strong and frequent El Nino events starting at about 1450 BC and lasting for several centuries. This stressful climatic trend, associated with the gradual demise of the Minoans, is argued to be an important force acting in the downfall of this classic and long-lived civilization.

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