Stones A Material and Cultural History

About this book

From small beach pebbles to huge megaliths, stones have been revered, collected, enhanced, sculpted or engraved for practical and artistic purposes throughout the ages. They have been used to delineate boundaries and to build homes and shelters, and utilized for cooking, games and competitions. This surprising and fascinating compendium of stone facts, myths and stories reveals the impact and importance of stones in our history and culture.

Cally Oldershaw introduces the science in an accessible way and covers the aesthetic appeal of stones, their practical uses and metaphysical properties. With an eclectic mix of examples from the Stone Age to the present, Stones engagingly excavates the story of this essential matter.

Contents

Introduction: Geology and the Science of Stones

Chapter 1. Stone Tools, Weapons, Implements and Building Stones
Chapter 2. Testimony in Stone
Chapter 3. Stones and the Creative Mind
Chapter 4. Medicinal, Health and Healing Stones
Chapter 5. Collectors, Collections and Collecting Stones

Appendix: Starting Your Collection
References
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Geologist and gemmologist Cally Oldershaw is the first Lady Chair of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, and former Curator of Gemstones for the Natural History Museum, London. She is the author of more than 20 books on gemstones and other Earth science topics including volcanoes, earthquakes, oceans and seas.