Description
Book SynopsisThe work features an edition of the reaper inscription, and a commentary on it. It is also lavishly illustrated to demonstrate the important iconic and pictorial dimensions of the story.
Trade Review'The volume is incredibly rich in content with almost one hundred illustrations in black and white, more than a thousand endnotes, and thirty-five pages of bibliography... Shaw's book advances our understanding of agricultural society and is an important contribution to the study of late antiquity.' -- Jesper Carlsen The Historian vol 77:01:2015 'How wonderful to read a book written by a true scholar, which brims with humor, critique, insight, and expansiveness... Highly recommended.' -- S. Hammer Choice Magazine vol 51:01:2013 'Fascinating study of harvest and harvesting in the Roman world...Not only is this the most wide-ranging study of the harvest in antiquity that I am aware of, it should be read by all who are interested in the link between life and thought in the Roman world.' -- Paul Erdkamp American Historical Review, vol 119:02:2014
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface/Introduction 1. Under the Burning Sun 2. Primus in Arvis / First in the Fields 3. Sickle & Scythe / Man & Machine 4. The Grim Reapers 5. Blade of Vengeance Appendix 1: Harvesting Contracts from Roman Egypt and Italy Appendix 2: The Maktar Harvester Inscription: Text and Commentary Appendix 3: The Gallo-Roman Reaping Machines: Iconographic Data Map 1.1: Africa of the Maktar Harvester Map 2.1: Roman Mactaris (Maktar) and Region Map 3.1: Northern Gaul: Heartland of the Reaping Machine Map 3.2: Distribution of Sickle and Scythe Finds in Late Prehistoric and Roman Gaul Table 1.1: Survey of Modern/Post World War II Land Use Patterns in the Maghrib Table 1.2: Pre-World War II Cereal Grain Production in the Maghrib Table 1.3: Survey of Modern/Post World War II Cereal Grain Production in the Maghrib Table 1.4: Pre World War I Indigenous Cereal Grain Production in Algeria Abbreviations of Sources Bibliography
