Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Ancient World, edited by Peter Bogucki. 4 vols. 1,286p. New York: Facts on File, 2008. 978-08160-6941-5; 2007-533. $360.

Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Ancient World This comparative cultural encyclopedia explores the social history and material culture of the ancient world. Unlike many tools that tend to focus on Classical Greece and Rome, or at most one or two other cultural areas, the editors of this encyclopedia take deliberate steps to examine the early development of civilization worldwide. Each of the 69 topical entries is divided into eight, separately-signed regional essays covering Africa, Egypt, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Greece, Rome, the Americas. One could argue that the Far East and South Asia merit separate treatment, but few works of this nature provide such consistent coverage of the entire globe. This approach allows the user to compare the development of transportation system or seafaring in ancient China and Rome as well as Central America and Northern Europe. Topics range from the beginnings of agriculture, art, metallurgy and music to the nature of family, government and other social structures. Clothing, adornment, diet and household goods are among the everyday aspects of life that the 111 expert contributors explore. Investigations of number systems, calendars, writing, textiles and building techniques expose the technological achievements of ancient societies. Articles on borders and frontiers, empires and dynasties and military methods trace their limits. Crime and punishment, death and burial practices, laws, slavery, sports and recreation are among the other subjects covered. Each entry begins with an overview noting the subject’s significance in the ancient world. The articles end with brief bibliographies and a selection of relevant excerpts from primary sources. Thus, the entry on gender roles includes selections from Herodotus on Babylonian women, the Chinese Confucian Ban Zhao’s Lessons for a Woman, and the Greek philosopher Semonides of Amorgos on “The Types of Women.” A comparative chronology, glossary and nearly 250 maps and illustrations round out this useful introduction to ancient life. The set is recommended for high school, public and undergraduate library collections.
—John R.M. Lawrence