Earthly Paradises

"In this illustrated book, Maureen Carroll examines the most recent evidence for gardens from the second millennium BC to the middle of the first millennium AD in the cultures of the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece, Italy and the provinces of the Roman Empire. She explores themes such as house gardens, orchards and parks, sacred gardens and cemetery gardens, and dedicates a chapter to gardens in ancient poetry. She also discusses ancient horticultural practices and the role of gardeners. The final chapter looks at the survival of ancient gardening traditions in the Islamic and Byzantine worlds, and the perception and depiction of paradise in those cultures. Evidence is drawn from archaeology, which can reveal the remains of gardens that were never mentioned in written sources, as well as textual, pictorial and environmental sources." "Illustrated with delightful images from tomb and wall paintings, sculptural reliefs and manuscripts, as well as informative reconstructions and plans, this book provides a fascinating insight into the earthly paradises of antiquity."--BOOK JACKET.