03164oam 22005412 450 991079349500332120230817191825.090-04-35272-410.1163/9789004352728(CKB)4100000007742613(MiAaPQ)EBC5717481(nllekb)BRILL9789004352728(EXLCZ)99410000000774261320190105d2019 uy 0engurcnu||||||||txtrdacontentcrdamediacrrdacarrierLost knowledge the concept of vanished technologies and other human histories /by Benjamin B. OlshinLeiden ;Boston :Brill,[2019]1 online resource (474 pages)Technology and change in history,1385-920X ;volume 1690-04-35271-6 Includes bibliographical references and index.Front Matter -- Frontispiece -- Copyright page -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Figures -- Speculations and Fantasies -- Ancient Tales of Flying Machines -- Magic Mirrors and Early Televisions -- The Missing Land of Atlantis -- Rings and Dangerous Powers -- The Nature, Encoding, and Transmission of Knowledge -- Conclusions — What Did They Mean? -- Back Matter -- Bibliography -- Index.Lost Knowledge: The Concept of Vanished Technologies and Other Human Histories examines the idea of lost knowledge, reaching back to a period between myth and history. It investigates a peculiar idea found in a number of early texts: that there were civilizations with knowledge of sophisticated technologies, and that this knowledge was obscured or destroyed over time along with the civilization that had created it. This book presents critical studies of a series of early Chinese, South Asian, and other texts that look at the idea of specific “lost” technologies, such as mechanical flight and the transmission of images. There is also an examination of why concepts of a vanished “golden age” were prevalent in so many cultures. Offering an engaging and investigative look at the propagation of history and myth in technology and culture, this book is sure to interest historians and readers from many backgrounds.Technology and Change in History16.Technology and civilizationHistoryTo 1500Technology and civilizationHistoryTo 1500SourcesTechnologyHistoryTo 1500Communication of technical informationHistoryTo 1500Knowledge, Theory ofHistoryTo 1500Civilization, AncientTechnology and civilizationHistoryTechnology and civilizationHistoryTechnologyHistoryCommunication of technical informationHistoryKnowledge, Theory ofHistoryCivilization, Ancient.303.483Olshin Benjamin B.1494030NL-LeKBNL-LeKBBOOK9910793495003321Lost knowledge3801824UNINA