The sinews of war: a brief history of ancient catapults
Until the discovery of gunpowder, the most powerful weapon available was the catapult. The Roman army had stone-throwers capable of hurling projectiles of 27 kilos at a distance of 150 metres, and Archimedes
A comparative perspective on the determinants of the scale and productivity of maritime trade in the Roman Mediterranean
The scale and productivity of maritime trade is a function of environmental conditions, political processes and economic development that determine demand, and more specifically of trading costs.
Population and demography
This paper provides a general overview of Greco-Roman population history.
A comparative perspective on the determinants of the scale and productivity of maritime trade in the Roman Mediterranean
I argue that imperial state formation was the single most important ultimate determinant of the scale, structure, and productivity of maritime commerce in the Roman period. Hegemony and subsequent direct rule created uniquely favorable conditions for maritime trade by cutting the costs of predation, transactions, and financing to levels that were lower than in any other period of pre-modern Mediterranean history.
Silk Weaving in Ancient China: From Geometric Figures to Patterns of Pictorial Likeness
The advantages of the silk thread were probably already recognised by Chi- nese stone-age women employed in weaving. If maximum benefit was to be got from its exceptional length, then it was only logical to dress the loom with a warp of silk threads.
The growth of Greek cities in the first millennium BC
In this paper I trace the growth of the largest Greek cities from perhaps 1,000- 2,000 people at the beginning of the first millennium BC to 400,000-500,000 at the millennium’s end.