Archives in the Ancient World

Archives in the Ancient World has become a standard introductory work on the ancient history of archives. Prior to its publication in 1972, archives professionals knew little about the practices of their Egyptian, Greek and Roman predecessors. In this work, Posner effectively proves that "to those actively engaged in archival work the history of archives administration should be a serious concern, not merely a subject of curiosity."Posner's work explores the relationships between ancient archives and the organizations that created them. The book cuts a broad swath through the ancient world, discussing Clay tablets, Pharonic Egypt, Greece, Persia, Alexander the Great and the Seleucid Empire, Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, and Republican and Imperial Rome. This broad view allows Posner to emphasize the continuity between ancient and modern practice, and enables him "to picture archival developments against the background of the societies of which they were a part."More than thirty years after its publication, Archives in the Ancient World remains a classic text that challenges archivists to apply historical background to their own experience, enriching the professional practice. The 2003 edition includes James O'Toole's useful and engaging new introduction, which traces more contemporary scholarship and discusses its implications for archivists. O'Toole comes to the conclusion that contemporary scholars who have continued to study ancient civilizations provide "more support than revision for Posner's conclusions."