The Mediterranean
The Mediterranean universe, this is, North Africa and Southern Europe, (Egypt, Greece, Krete, Rome, Venice), has shaped what we call western civilisation, originated in Sumer (what is now Irak) six thousands years ago, then expanded to Northern Africa and Southern Europe. The Mediterranean coast, blessed by good weather, mild temperature and fertile lands, facilitated the grow of many civilisations. These produced a wide range of home products, furniture and appliances, clocks and artifacts, quite similar to many products manufactured between the 15th and 19th Centuries.
In may ways, at the peak of Roman culture, about 200bc (at the times of the Republic), and lasting for another five centuries, till the conquest of what is now Bavaria, a large number of products were produced with quite established industrial techniques. The fall of the Roman Empire produced a void, where just a handful of Monasteries run by the recently founded Vatican State managed to keep alive, passing the existing knowledge (mathematics, geometry, history, literature) from generation after generation thanks to dedicated professional copysts called Scribes.
Our homage to them, who anonymously ketp whatever knowledge found from ancient times, till the Renaissance, when soon the printing machines started to facilitate preservation and divulgation of texts, and soon, books. Many objects and artefacts, however, survived. Below, an amazing vase from Rome (100), British Museum, London:
All that knowledge from many millennia vanished mainly because of Time, including the loss of the library of Alexandria, where up to 400,000 manuscripts and papyrus scrolls were kept. As far as we know, it was the largest collection of knowledge about the ancient world. The papyrus documented old history, philosophy, arts and technology, from sources even as far as the Sumerian. Only a few hundred survived. Below, the coliseum in Nimes, France, built in year 100.
Below, the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, built nearly two millenia later: the sources of history explain the origin of contemporary forms.
It does not matter if we approach cities, institutional buildings, furniture, clothing or cooking tools and tableware, the evolution of every item can be traced along history, and general speaking, objects have kept their essence, even basic materiality. Only in recent decades, thanks to experimentation and innovations, new items appeared, but mostly related to communication and media.
At Ethnika Time we try to bring to you all sort of products, choosen because of elegance, practicality and functionality.
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