We examine Qin Dynasty (221 to 207 BCE) wood bookkeeping slips from 217 to 210 BCE unearthed in Hunan province, China. While purely written slips were unearthed before, these slips are unique in that they contain written records of details of transactions as well as notches on their sides that...

Why did enduring socio-economic inequality emerge between the 4th and 3rd millennium BCE, after millennia of substantial egalitarianism? We test the hypothesis of inequality being a by-product of state formation in an archeological panel covering Southern Iraq between 3900 and 1900 BCE. We...

During the Hadrianic period (117-138 CE), Attalos Adrastos of Aphrodisias left two generous endowments to fund civic and reli- gious services. Although private donations are common means of civic up-keeping, at a closer look Adrastos employed financial de- vices that allowed him to profit from...

Urban areas confront a chronic shortage of housing, especially in the low-rent segment. This precarious situation is further exacerbated by major challenges, like the destruction of housing by wars and natural catastrophes, rapid increase of demand, or pandemics cutting incomes. In response, the...

In this study we evaluate the role that Mediterranean Medieval trade with Africa and the Middle-East still plays today in Italian politics by shaping the attitudes towards migrants of individuals that live close to Medieval ports. Trade connections between Medieval ports and Muslim Africa and...

There has been supreme importance to the religious institution in the lives of the populations as it represents one of the most vital factors affecting the course of their lives and the way their civilization progresses. Religious beliefs delineated the wide-ranging structure of human behavior...

In the last two decades, an increasing amount of papyrological findings have begun to shed more light on the demographic and economic consequences of the Antonine Plague in Roman Egypt. However, both results and conclusions on this subject remain quite controversial. This paper reinterprets the...

For scholars seeking to understand political transitions, ancient Greece – the birthplace of democracy and home to dynamic political entrepreneurs – represents a potentially invaluable source of information. Until recently, however, that information was too dispersed topermit systematic...

The most spectacular and attractive items of personal adornment of people is jewellery. The colour, brightness, lasting value, and the scarcity of the materials for these specialties, jewelleries attract man. From the hoary past, men used jewellery made of various materials. Various parts of the...

Mapping a Leadership Biography: Set-Up and Approach -- The Making of a Leader: Caesar's Early Life and Education -- Rising Above the Fray: From High Potential to Leader -- Proving His Mettle: The Conquest of Gaul -- No Turning Back: How Followers Can Push a Leader into Crossing the Rubicon --...

IntroductionPART I :THE EMERGENCE OF THE EGYPTIAN STATE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS1.Concepts of 'the state' and ancient Egypt2.The administrative field of power3.The administrative field, symbolic power and social connectivityPART II:THE INTERNAL ECONOMY OF EGYPT4.The Egyptian economy: The...

"This volume examines lending practices in Egypt during the Ptolemaic Period (332-30 BCE), especially but not exclusively through the lens of the Demotic loan-account papyri of Panas, son of Espmetis. This first chapter introduces some of the issues associated with the history of ancient...

In 1785, a Frankfurt Jew brought a credit dispute between himself and a local Jewish couple before the Imperial Aulic Council in Vienna. Intra-Jewish cases were often appealed to the Council, but here the plaintiff argued the suit should be decided based on Jewish law and the Imperial Aulic...

Did long-distance trade in the Roman world operate on a sufficiently big scale to increase the overall size of markets, enabling specialization of labor and thus Smithian growth? Although the Malthusian model represents the dominant view to describe the economic performance of the ancient world,...

Urban areas are confronted with a chronic shortage of housing, especially in the low-rent segment. This precarious situation is further exacerbated by major challenges, like the destruction of housing by wars and natural catastrophes, rapid increase of demand, or a pandemic cutting incomes. In...