Lapis Lazuli from the Kiln examines the history of the first glass, from its early sporadic occurrence, through the height of its production in the late second millennium BCE, to its disappearance at the end of that millennium. The book draws on an exceptionally wide range of sources including ancient texts detailing recipes and trade in glass, iconographic depictions in tombs and temples, archaeological excavation of the most important sites including Amarna and Qantir, and the description of the glass objects themselves.

Science in the Study of Ancient Egypt takes an innovative and integrated approach to the use of scientific techniques and methodologies within the study of ancient Egypt. Accessibly demonstrating how to integrate scientific methodologies into Egyptology broadly, and in Egyptian archaeology in particular, this volume will help to maximise the amount of information that can be obtained within a study of ancient Egypt, be it in the field, museum, or laboratory. Using a range of case studies which exemplify best practice within Egyptian archaeological science, Science in the Study of Ancient Egypt presents both the scientific methods of analysis available and their potential applications to Egyptologists. Although Egyptology has mainly shown a marked lack of engagement with recent archaeological science, the authors illustrate the inclusive but varied nature of the scientific archaeology which is now being undertaken, demonstrating how new analytical techniques can develop greater understanding of Egyptian data.

There is a notable lack of archaeological science used in Egyptology and Egyptian archaeology today. The reasons behind this are twofold: one, the discipline started with the early translation of Hieroglyphs which, combined with the large amount of written and pictorial material available, has long overshadowed the study of the material culture, including archaeology. Second are the practical and bureaucratic challenges to be found in obtaining access to material. In the light of these challenges, the lack of application of archaeological science in Egypt is hardly surprising.

Science in the Study of Ancient Egypt demonstrates how to integrate scientific methodologies into Egyptology broadly, and in Egyptian archaeology in particular, in order to maximise the amount of information that might be obtained within a study of ancient Egypt, be it field, museum, or laboratory-based. The authors illustrate the inclusive but varied nature of the scientific archaeology being undertaken, revealing that it all falls under the aegis of Egyptology, and demonstrating its potential for the elucidation of problems within traditional Egyptology.

The technological capabilities of the ancient world have long fascinated scholars and the general public alike, though scholarly debate has often seen material culture not as the development of technology, but as a tool for defining chronology and delineating the level of interactions of neighbouring societies. These fourteen papers, arising from a conference held in Oxford in September 2000, take the approach that technology plays a vital role in past socio-economic systems. They cover the Near East and associated areas, including Greece, Crete, Cyprus, Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia and Egypt from the end of the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age (1650-1150 BC), a period when many technological innovations appear for the first time.