{"product_id":"traces-of-the-past-unraveling-the-secrets-of-archaeology-through-chemistry-helix-books-9780201409284","title":"Traces Of The Past: Unraveling The Secrets Of Archaeology Through Chemistry (Helix Books)","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhere Stonehenges 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 patternsdemographic 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45118133469237,"sku":"ByrdShop_0201409283","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780201409284.jpg?v=1776100659","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/traces-of-the-past-unraveling-the-secrets-of-archaeology-through-chemistry-helix-books-9780201409284","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}