A database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
These reference books are shelved on the first floor of Ellis Library in the Reference Books area.
Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine
Medieval Science, Technology and Medicine: An Encyclopedia examines the state of scientific and medical knowledge, as well as technology, in the middle ages. The coverage spans numerous disciplines and various countries, relating their advancements of science and placing discoveries within their cultural context. This work dispels the notion of the 'dark ages', revealing instead a world where scientific and medical research and discoveries were abundant and varied.
Science and Technology in World History: Introduction (e-book)
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This installment in a series on science and technology in world history begins in the fourteenth century, explaining the origin and nature of scientific methodology and the relation of science to religion, philosophy, military history, economics and technology. Specific topics covered include the Black Death, the Little Ice Age, the invention of the printing press, Martin Luther and the Reformation, the birth of modern medicine, the Copernican Revolution, Galileo, Kepler, Isaac Newton, and the Scientific Revolution.
Ancient Technology (e-book)
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Since ancient times, technological advances have increased man's chances for survival. From the practicality of a Roman aqueduct to the art of the written word, man has always adapted his environment to meet his needs, and to provide himself with sustenance, comfort, comfort, leisure, a higher quality of living, and a thriving culture. This concise reference source takes a closer look at six technological events that significantly impacted the evolution of civilization, from the Palaeolithic age to the height of the Roman Empire. As he touches on the common elements of ancient technology--energy, machines, mining, metallurgy, ceramics, agriculture, engineering, transportation, and communication--Humphrey asks questions central to understanding the impact of ancient tools on the modern world: What prompts change? What cultural traditions inhibit change? What effect do these changes have on their societies and civilization? Humphrey explores technologies as both physical tools and as extensions of the human body, beginning with the invention of the Greek alphabet and including such accomplishments as early Neolithic plant cultivation, the invention of coinage, the building of the Parthenon, and Rome's urban water system. Detailed line drawings of tools and machines make ancient mechanics more easily accessible. Primary documents, glossary, biographies, and a timeline dating from the Palaeolithic age to the Roman Empire round out the work, making this an ideal reference source for understanding the tools of the ancient world.
The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ancient and Medieval Warfare
This guide was produced by Rachel Brekhus, with assistance from Lee Anne Litzsinger (MU School of Information Science & Learning Technology) and input from Lois Huneycutt (MU Department of History).
