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Description
Traces of the Past: Unraveling the Secrets of Archaeology Through ChemistryWhere Stonehenge's giant bluestones come from? Was the fall of the Roman Empire hastened by lead poisoning? How did amber get from the Baltic to Belize? In exploring these and other historical enigmas, Joseph Lambert expertly details the rich insights into ancient life that chemistry alone can provide. Using cutting edge scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis, and elemental fingerprinting, acclaimed chemist Joseph Lambert expertly
Where Stonehenge's giant bluestones come from? Was the fall of the Roman Empire hastened by lead poisoning? How did amber get from the Baltic to Belize? In exploring these and other historical enigmas, Joseph Lambert expertly details the rich insights into ancient life that chemistry alone can provide. Using cutting-edge scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis, and elemental fingerprinting, acclaimed chemist Joseph Lambert expertly details the rich insights into ancient life that chemistry alone can provide. He shows, for example, how investigators today can determine the diet of prehistoric Europeans, the geographical origin of the marble in a Greek statue, or the reason why the Liberty Bell cracked. He uses nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to reconstruct ancient trade routes, and X-ray diffraction, among other methods, to compare the color palettes of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians (the latter were apparently much more flamboyant). He explains how chemical analysis of DNA can be used to sort out human lineages and migratory patterns-demographic trends that affected, in turn, everything from language to the spread of disease. Chemistry takes center stage in this fascinating book, proving that it is not just an analyst of culture, it stands as one of its primary creators. Lambert offers us a unique glimpse into a form of technical progress hitherto unappreciated: the ever-increasing ingenuity of the Human race, as seen through the prism of its evolving chemical sophistication. We discover how primitive chemistry was initially used by ancient people as a tool to improve their daily lives, a feat that was achieved by reworking molecules of clay into pottery and minerals into metal alloys, and by turning grains into beer and pitch into sealants. By documenting the way ancient people manipulated their environment chemically, Lambert further refines the distinguishing feature of our species. Early humans were more than tool-makers. They were molecular transformers.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 09/23/1998
ISBN: 9780738200279
Pages: 336
Weight: 1.08lbs
Size: 8.97h x 6.13w x 0.86d
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4.1 ★★★★★
Based on 636 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
BLEW ME AWAY! Loved every moment
Format: Kindle, Format: Kindle
My new FAVORITE BOOK! Priestess by Kara Reynolds blew me away from start to finish. This is a beautiful story about feminine power, sacrifice, self-worth, friendship, found family, healing and love. And the SLOW burn romance is excruciating and exquisite in the best way (“I am beyond temptation, I have been tempted and I have surrendered”). It was especially wonderful to find a fantasy novel with an FMC in her late 30s that is very relatable. It explores the topics of finding love later in life, fertility and the struggles women have with attaching self-worth with motherhood (My mother says all women are mothers in different ways, that we all give birth, just not all to children. Some women give birth to revolutions, to movements, to sanctuary, to art, to brilliance.”) GAHHH love this. I felt so seen. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat, dying to turn the pages faster to know what happens and at the same time wanting to slow down and enjoy Reynolds beautiful prose and savor each chapter. The ending was perfect and the authors note made me cry. I CANNOT wait to read Illuminator and Pilgrimess which will be out April 28th!!!! Kara Reynolds is def on my auto-buy list 💚
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Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Take a jaunt to Tintar, a city of blue abalones and black stone set above the angry sea...
Format: Paperback
Edie is a clever, gutsy heroine, who is lucky to be surrounded by a crew of likewise interesting ladies. Their tender moments in the bath and at the bar alike were very lovely, and the themes of female friendship were refreshing.
My favorite parts had to do with the magic of this world, which is very novel. Often there's elemental magic, earth gets the short end of the stick. Not so here. The power of earth in this seaside landscape cannot be underestimated, and I really enjoyed that twist. Earth signs, at least, will rejoice in seeing their element treated with real consideration.
All of the scenes of magic and old gods were A+, and I loved the weirdness of the rocks first coming to her in the forest, then erupting from the ground to let her know without a doubt what her strength was, and finally forming majestic creatures to rescue her new home—all based on the women who had supported and loved her.
The final conflict was excellent. There was a real sense that Edie was going to sacrifice something that she did not want to let go of, which you don't get that often. (Plus, it was pretty funny when a certain someone got tossed over a wall.)
Finally, given the themes of womanhood in this book, I am going to pull a word from the big reviewers' lexicon and say that this book is /timely/. What it says about what women are and are not, how it explores Edie's feelings about her body, were thoughtful and illuminating and, yes, timely and given the political climate we are now in—I will even add /necessary/ to that list.
It's a rich, femme-centric fantasy epic that made me think about womanhood (and motherhood) in a new light.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024
★★★★★ 5
Woman's experience and the power of female friendships
Format: Kindle
This story was amazing, and had several elements currently lacking from the genre. It was mature, wise, experienced, and empathetic. It was wonderfully representative of women's experience, with the bonds and friendships between them serving as the balm for life's hurts.
**Spoiler alert/warning: Reynolds tackled SA, infertility, teenage pregnancy, and more. Her representation of infertility is the most true-to-form capture of that awful journey that I've ever seen in literature (AND it wasn't "cured" by the love of the "right" man - something that drives me crazy in 99.99999% of stories that try to touch on infertility). She even included the realness of the older infertile woman's response to the teenage pregnancy in a raw and unfiltered way. Another review said it but I'll back it up: Kara knows. And she shows you that she knows.
Thank you for your empathetic writing, Kara Reynolds. Thank you for seeing women and our experiences and representing us on the page. I was touched, moved, inspired, and comforted by the power of female friendships and found family. The romance was gorgeous, even in its predictability. Because it was clear that the true loves of her life were those enduring women who walked life alongside her. Amazing story.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2025
★★★★★ 4
Girl a struggle that I couldn't not finish.
Format: Kindle
Keep writing Kara girl. Maybe shorten something. But I enjoyed the story. I did not enjoy the uncertainty because it was never uncertain. I enjoy the story though.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2025
★★★★★ 5
OUTSTANDING
Format: Kindle
This was very, very good. The world is vast and characters are complex. There is a good plot with a whole lot going on. This is well written. Good twists and turns and some heart breaking moments. You will love these characters, they have heart and loyalty. I am hoping that there will be several more books. We've yet to see anything from the Sea Court but only a mention of them here and there. The Wood Court was given a quick couple of scenes, and only as far as some warriors, we've yet to enter their court and the Shadow Court, I'm not sure if they will be a force for good or bad, but they definitely will play a much bigger role moving forward. This is primarily the Ice and Air Courts. Told in multiple views, which I loved, it gives you a chance to see things from different eyes. There's alot of political maneuvering and deception. I loved it and will pick up the next book as it becomes available. If you like The Fae and the courts, you should love this. I think the author has mucn in store for us.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2020