{
  "id": 14148110,
  "title": "*Lost Worlds*",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/lost-worlds",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-13T07:28:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Marginal Revolution",
    "slug": "marginal-revolution",
    "url": "https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2026/10/lost-worlds.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Patrick Wyman's book \"Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World\" offers a fascinating survey of pre-Sumerian societies and the knowledge we've gained about them in recent years. The author emphasizes the complexity of the subject matter, noting that agricultural and non-agricultural societies often coexisted and intermingled during this period, making clear distinctions challenging.\n\nOne example highlighted in the book is Ötzi's copper axe, a rare and valuable artifact from a time when metalworking was still a relatively new technology. The axe head is attached to a yew wood handle and secured with a mixture of birch tar and hide strips. However, Ötzi carried more than just this weapon. He also possessed a short flint dagger with an ash handle, an unfinished yew yew bow measuring seventy-two inches in length, a bowstring made from animal sinew, two finished arrows with flint heads, and a dozen unfinished shafts stored in a quiver made from roe deer leather.\n\nDespite the wealth of information available, the author acknowledges that much about these early societies remains unclear. While the author recognizes this limitation, he refrains from making speculative claims. \"Lost Worlds\" is highly recommended and has been added to the author's list of best non-fiction books of the year.",
  "summary": "The author is Patrick Wyman, and the subtitle is How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World. An excellent book, it is a survey of (mostly) pre-Sumerian times, what we know about them, and how we have learned a lot lately. It is easy to read, yet the author properly stresses the complexity of […] The post *Lost Worlds* appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}