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Lost Knowledge: The Concept of Vanished Technologies and Other Human Histories examines the idea of lost knowledge, reaching back to a period between myth and history. It investigates a peculiar idea found in a number of early texts: that there were civilizations with knowledge of sophisticated technologies, and that this knowledge was obscured or destroyed over time along with the civilization that had created it. This book presents critical studies of a series of early Chinese, South Asian, and other texts that look at the idea of specific “lost” technologies, such as mechanical flight and the transmission of images. There is also an examination of why concepts of a vanished “golden age” were prevalent in so many cultures. Offering an engaging and investigative look at the propagation of history and myth in technology and culture, this book is sure to interest historians and readers from many backgrounds.
Price: $205.00
Pages: 458
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Series: Technology and Change in History
Publication Date:
07 March 2019
ISBN: 9789004352711
Format: Hardcover
"Another commendable aspect of Lost Knowledge is its attention to cultural diversity. The author traces a diverse range of technologies, including legends of aircraft, magic mirrors, the missing land of Atlantis, the story of Gyges and his magic ring in Plato’s Republic, etc. For each technology, the author has collected descriptions from cultural regions as wide ranging as Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and Native American lands. This makes for a colorful narrative and supports the author’s conjecture about the mode of knowledge dissemination."
- Guan Zeng-jian, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in: Technology and Culture, January 2022, Vol. 63, No. 1: pp. 237–39.
"The topic of this book is fascinating. The approach is great. Many refreshing ideas were created. […] The book impresses by the variety of case studies, by the attempt to draw intercultural comparisons and maybe even yet unknown intercultural connections through the ages.”
- Thorwald C. Franke, Independent Researcher, in: Atlantis Newsletter, 30 October 2020, No. 148.
- Guan Zeng-jian, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in: Technology and Culture, January 2022, Vol. 63, No. 1: pp. 237–39.
"The topic of this book is fascinating. The approach is great. Many refreshing ideas were created. […] The book impresses by the variety of case studies, by the attempt to draw intercultural comparisons and maybe even yet unknown intercultural connections through the ages.”
- Thorwald C. Franke, Independent Researcher, in: Atlantis Newsletter, 30 October 2020, No. 148.
Benjamin B. Olshin is a Professor of Philosophy, the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, and Design at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He has written in a broad range of areas, including the history of cartography, the sociology of technology, the philosophy of science, and design.