Alexander the Great led one of the most successful armies in history and conquered nearly the entirety of the known world while wearing armor made of cloth. How is that possible? In Reconstructing Ancient Linen Body Armor; Gregory S. Aldrete; Scott Bartell; and Alicia Aldrete provide the answer.An extensive multiyear project in experimental archaeology; this pioneering study presents a thorough investigation of the linothorax; linen armor worn by the Greeks; Macedonians; and other ancient Mediterranean warriors. Because the linothorax was made of cloth; no examples of it have survived. As a result; even though there are dozens of references to the linothorax in ancient literature and nearly a thousand images of it in ancient art; this linen armor remains relatively ignored and misunderstood by scholars. Combining traditional textual and archaeological analysis with hands-on reconstruction and experimentation; the authors unravel the mysteries surrounding the linothorax. They have collected and examined all of the literary; visual; historical; and archaeological evidence for the armor and detail their efforts to replicate the armor using materials and techniques that are as close as possible to those employed in antiquity. By reconstructing actual examples using authentic materials; the authors were able to scientifically assess the true qualities of linen armor for the first time in 1;500 years. The tests reveal that the linothorax provided surprisingly effective protection for ancient warriors; that it had several advantages over bronze armor; and that it even shared qualities with modern-day Kevlar.Previously featured in documentaries on the Discovery Channel and the Canadian History Channel; as well as in U.S. News and World Report; MSNBC Online; and other international venues; this groundbreaking work will be a landmark in the study of ancient warfare.
#3358504 in eBooks 2013-05-08 2013-05-08File Name: B00BURG7CM
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A richness of thought with poetic- like discourseBy Dennis Alan WintersEngaging in the art and spirit of sacred architecture is fundamental to our contact with divinity; revealing our most profound ways of being with the world. Here; author Thomas Barrie offers his insightful; scholarly and beautifully written book; The Sacred In-Between: The Mediating Roles of Architecture; on the profound relationship between architecture and spirituality and how this transaction provides meaning for us.By introducing Davidrsquo;s biblical lament; ldquo;How long wilt thou hide thy face from merdquo;; Barrie sets the stage for sacred architecturersquo;s role of bringing people and divinity together. The author assures us that sacred architecture is more than merely the messenger; articulating archetypal expressions of spirituality that infiltrate our very core and the content of our religion: as God; pantheism; nature; and/or complete awakening itself. For sacred architecture can become the voice of divinity itself; preparing us for communicative connections that surface from deep within ourselves; placing lsquo;who I amrsquo; and lsquo;where I amrsquo; in the world and the cosmos.Early in the book; when the reader would want to know; the author clearly states his philosophical intentions and interpretive interests in sacred architecturersquo;s mediating role: through its use and ritual in direct response to cultural beliefs and imperatives; as a communicative media expressing symbolic; mythological; doctrinal and historical content; and as precedent for understanding shared patterns. He writes; ldquo;Sacred architecture embodies the messages of divinity; whose full meaning is revealed through the serial tableaux that unfolds as pilgrims ambulate its spaces ndash; a participation in the nature of form and space.rdquo;Like Emersonrsquo;s; ldquo;Art is the Creatorrsquo;s Path to the Work.rdquo; Or Plotinusrsquo;; ldquo;Materialityrsquo;s becoming beautiful; flowing from the Divinerdquo;.Certainly; the authorrsquo;s presentation of sacred architecture is a many-splendoured theme. Drawing upon his expansive knowledge of linguistics; phenomenology and hermeneutics as analytic foundation; Barrie undertakes profound inquiry into how sacred architecture is viewed through varied approaches to spirituality. No pedantic ecclesiastical discourse here; he provides a richness of thought and poetic-like discourse to present the trajectory of provocative ideas one would expect to deeply analyze the grounding for sacred architecture. The authorrsquo;s sketches and black and white photographs are well placed throughout the text to supplement the written with the visual.Leading the reader through diverse and extensive resources like Maurice Merleau-Ponty; Ralph Waldo Emerson; and the Buddhist Pali Canon support the authorrsquo;s ideas. His perceptive analysis of Carl Jungrsquo;s house at Bollingen; Switzerland; is a highlight that presents architecture as an image of the psyche; Jungrsquo;s means to reconcile his outer and inner worlds; as it could the readersrsquo; own.One criticism is the authorrsquo;s reliance on the pedagogically priggish phrase; lsquo;I arguersquo;; to declare a point made; perhaps demanded by academia. However; as the author generally writes with ldquo;the sensual engagement of sacred architecturerdquo; ndash; thatlsquo;s his writing style that continually engages the reader. Here is the authorrsquo;s being touched by beauty; art and architecture; and his expressions of architecture and spirituality as one is writing with which the reader will synch.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive; Thoughtful; and BrilliantBy AnisahoniThomas Barrie widens the important exploration he began in his first book; Sacred Path; Sacred Place; by reminding readers that sacred architecture is a global language embedded in historical; cultural context. And he is an outstanding interpreter for those less familiar with its characteristics. His comprehensive and erudite surveys transport us to the lsquo;sacred in-betweenrsquo; of an array of monasteries and abbeys; Sarasvatirsquo;s shrine; the Pantheon; the Western medieval church; exemplified at Saint Foy in Coques; and many other locales. I found his discussion of the Hopewell and Adena mound-builder locations really fascinating; particularly in giving evidence of a resilient and complex cosmology that still survives after nearly two thousand years (despite deliberate and incidental attempts to destroy it). His recognition and understanding of the place of symbol and archetype is first rate. But it is in-between the lines where we find his strongest thesis reminding all of us; but particularly todayrsquo;s architects; of the philosophical depth and zeal of their predecessors and thereby challenging us to consider what currently passes for sacred architecture more critically. A generous array of beautiful illustrations; schematics; and photos compliment Mr. Barriersquo;s analysis throughout this book. This is a great book!