REVIEW: Ancient Economies, Modern Methodologies

Peter F. Bang, Mamoru Ikeguchi, Harmut G. Ziche, Ancient Economies, Modern Methodologies: Archaeology, Comparative History, Models and Institutions. Bari: Edipuglia, 2006. Pp. 278. ISBN 978-88-7228-488-9. €40.00.

Reviewed by Alex Gottesman, Bryn Mawr College (agottesman@brynmawr.edu)
Word count: 2270 words

This volume is the product of an international conference of economic historians and archaeologists held in 2002 at the University of Cambridge. The editors invited participants "to check the pulse of ancient economic history" (8)...
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Only one chapter explicitly deals with Egypt, (Sitta von Reden, "The Ancient Economy and Ptolemaic Egypt"), about which the reviewer says nothing.
Egypt is a constant reference point, however, especially in Peter Fibiger Bang, "Imperial Bazaar" (which is mentioned in the review) and Willem Jongman, "The rise and fall of the Roman economy: population, rents, and entitlement."

The book can be fully searched at Google book Search

Neville Morley, "Narrative economy";

Peter Fibiger Bang, "Imperial Bazaar: towards a comparative understanding of markets in the Roman Empire";

Jorgen Christian Meyer, "Trade in Bronze Age and Iron Age Empires, a comparison";

Kevin Greene, "Archaeological data and economic interpretation";

Mamoru Ikeguchi, "A method for interpreting and comparing field survey data";

Sitta von Reden, "The Ancient Economy and Ptolemaic Egypt";

Viviane Baesens, "Royal taxation and religious tribute in Hellenistic Palestine";

Jean Andreau, "Roman law in relation to banking and business: a few cases";

Elio Lo Cascio, "The role of the state in the Roman economy: making use of the new institutional economics";

Willem Jongman, "The rise and fall of the Roman economy: population, rents, and entitlement";

Hartmut G. Ziche, "Integrating late Roman cities, countryside and trade".