Mechanics of Pre-industrial Technology: An Introduction to the Mechanics of Ancient and Traditional Material CultureThis is the first general account of the mechanics behind pre-industrial technology. By combining the skills of an engineer and an archaeologist, it shows how mechanics can be used to create a better understanding of the function of artifacts and the achievements of early technology. The authors examine technology from the earliest stone tools of more than two million years ago to the erection of the statues of Easter Island which continued into the seventeenth century. Representative material cultures from most areas of the world have been selected for this study and the book shows how sophisticated many of their apparently simple techniques and artefacts actually were. After an introduction to basic mechanics the book examines the elements of machines: the various structures which can be made to bridge openings; the mechanics involved in fashioning stone tools; projectiles such as the spear and boomerang; the efficiency of transport by land and water; and the mechanics of musical instruments. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Theories of cultural evolution | 5 |
Artifact sophistication and complexity | 8 |
The development of mechanical science | 11 |
Mechanics of material culture | 13 |
Methods of mechanical analysis | 14 |
Mechanical experimentation | 15 |
Definitions and units | 16 |
The initiation phase of flake formation | 140 |
The propagation phase offtake formation | 142 |
The termination phase of flake formation | 145 |
Flake surface markings | 147 |
Ground stone tools | 151 |
The mechanics of abrasion | 153 |
Usewear on stone tools | 155 |
Projectiles | 160 |
Basic mechanics | 18 |
Mass | 20 |
Force | 22 |
The main sources of force in preindustrial technology | 23 |
Gravitational force | 25 |
Frictional force | 27 |
Scalars and vectors | 29 |
Acceleration | 31 |
Work and energy | 33 |
Power | 35 |
Equilibrium and stability | 44 |
Fluids and solids | 47 |
The motion of ideal fluids | 50 |
The siphon | 54 |
The water wheel | 56 |
Viscous flow | 57 |
Waterclocks | 59 |
Solids | 64 |
Stress and strength | 65 |
Deformation and strain | 69 |
Stressstrain relationships | 70 |
Resilience and strain energy | 72 |
Machines | 74 |
The lever | 75 |
The moment of a force | 77 |
Lever systems of animals | 80 |
The beam press | 83 |
The balance | 84 |
The inclined plane | 86 |
The pulley | 89 |
The winch and capstan | 93 |
The screw | 94 |
The gear wheel | 96 |
The wedge | 97 |
Structures | 101 |
Suspension bridges | 102 |
Column and lintel construction | 104 |
Beams | 106 |
Trusses | 115 |
Arches and domes | 119 |
Domes | 123 |
Stone tools | 125 |
The stone materials | 127 |
Flaked stone tools | 130 |
Fracture mechanics | 135 |
The spear | 163 |
The spearthrower | 166 |
The stability of a spear | 170 |
The boomerang | 175 |
The bow and arrow | 180 |
The composite bow | 185 |
The Archers Paradox | 187 |
Torsion catapults | 188 |
Land transport | 193 |
Pack transport | 196 |
Wheeled vehicles | 197 |
Friction of rollers and wheels | 198 |
The dished wheel | 204 |
Animal Ability and Harness | 206 |
The wheelbarrow | 214 |
Moving the Colossi | 216 |
Lubrication | 220 |
Rollers | 223 |
Ropes | 225 |
Easter Island statues | 226 |
Classical Greece and Rome | 232 |
Water transport | 234 |
Buoyancy | 237 |
Lateral stability | 238 |
Propulsion | 245 |
Sails | 250 |
Water resistance | 255 |
The performance of the trireme | 257 |
Steering and directional stability | 259 |
Musical instruments | 265 |
The nature of sound | 266 |
The pitch and quality of a musical note | 267 |
Harmony and musical scales | 270 |
Musical instruments | 276 |
Aerophones or wind instruments | 280 |
Idiophones or percussion instruments other than drums | 287 |
Membranophones or drums | 291 |
Archaeomusicology | 292 |
Epilogue | 293 |
Glossary of mechanical terms | 296 |
Symbols | 305 |
Useful mathematical formulas | 308 |
309 | |
319 | |
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Common terms and phrases
abrasion acceleration ancient angle of incidence angular arch arrow artifacts Australian axis axle beam bending boat body boomerang bridge centre of gravity century chariot Chinese coefficient of friction compression Cotterell crack cross-section deformation developed diameter distance drag dynamic Easter Island efficient Egyptian elastic equation equilibrium flake flow fluid force F forces acting fracture frequency Galileo given Greek harness Hence Heron of Alexandria Hertzian cone horizontal horse hull instruments Kamminga Karnak kinetic energy length lever lift load mass material culture maximum mechanical mechanical advantage modulus motion musical Needham and Wang Newton partials pipe plane potential energy pressure projectile propagation proportional pull pulley ratio reflexed bow resistance rollers Roman rope sail shear sledge spear spearthrower speed stability steering-oar stone tools strength stress string surface tensile tension tonnes torsion spring trireme Unit velocity vertical vibration wave weight wheel wind wood Young's modulus