The archaeology of alchemy and chemistry in the early modern world

近代早期世界的炼金术和化学考古学

基本信息

批准号：
AH/I022228/1
负责人：
Marcos Martinon-Torres
金额：
$ 9.55万
依托单位：
University College London
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Fellowship
财政年份：
2011
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2011 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FI022228%2F1
关键词：
archaeology alchemy chemistry early modern

项目摘要

The bulk of the history of alchemy and chemistry relies on treatises, correspondence and other writings, aided by the study of paintings, woodcuts and emblems. While accepting the value of such sources and the many studies based on them, it may be argued that they have led to a bias towards theoretical speculations that tends to downplay the practical side of these disciplines. The many references to actual materials and experiments present in alchemical treatises have been largely overlooked or sidelined, partly because they appeared muddled in confusing language or because, transposing present ideas to the past, historians have assumed that alchemy had more to do with magic or philosophy than with real science. As a result, early modern 'alchemy' and 'chemistry' have often been artificially segregated, and some scholarly work has perpetuated the popular image of the alchemical laboratory as an unruly space for magic and obscure arts. Little work has been carried out to investigate the relationships between the adepts seeking metal transmutation and the philosopher's stone, and seemingly more rigorous craftspeople exploiting the mineral wealth of systematically investigating the secrets of nature.Recent studies have started to use laboratory notebooks and a more rigorous textual exegesis to reconstruct the practical dimensions of early alchemy. These approaches, together with my own archaeological work, are increasingly emphasising that theoretical formulations were based on actual laboratory experiments, that chrysopoeia or goldmaking was but one within a wider repertoire of practical endavours, and that alchemy cannot be studied in isolation from traditionally disparate fields such as mining, metallurgy and medicine. The main objective of this fellowship is to complete an academic monograph entitled The archaeology of alchemy and chemistry in the early modern world, which will substantiate the above ideas and present a range of case studies on the most famous early modern archaeological laboratories excavated in Europe and America. These include a small secluded laboratory in a rural context in Kapfenberg (Austria), the exceptionally well preserved laboratory from the Oberstockstall chapel (Austria), the assaying remains from Jamestown and Quebec, respectively the first British and French colonies in North America, and the Old Ashmolean laboratory in Oxford - internationally renowned as the Temple of Solomon.The scientific analysis of archaeological laboratories opens a new area for archaeological enquiry and provides a useful approach to redress the anachronism, undue generalisation and theoretical biases of some historical work. By analysing the origins and quality of the laboratory instruments, as well as the residues that inform about the experiments carried out with them, it is possible to access the practical dimension of the laboratory, the technical knowledge of the practitioners and the underlying understanding of nature. Importantly, the understanding of scientific laws and of the properties of materials that we can infer from archaeological data reveals that many scientific achievements were made in alchemical laboratories, and much earlier than apparent from historical sources. Furthermore, the material remains illustrate a great array of experiments in addition to goldmaking, such as processes with zinc, mercury and glass, which will prompt historians of science and technology to diversify their research foci.The book will be aimed primarily at both archaeologists and historians of science, but it will be thoroughly illustrated and written in a style accessible to any educated reader. Capitalising on the popularity of both alchemy and archaeology, the publication will be used as a springboard to increase ongoing public engagement through media interaction and further popular dissemination. The work will also feed directly into the exhibition of these archeological materials in their respective museums.

炼金术和化学历史的大部分依赖于绘画，木刻和标志的研究，依赖于论文，信函和其他著作。在接受此类来源的价值和许多基于它们的研究的价值时，可能会说，它们导致对理论推测有偏见，这些猜测倾向于淡化这些学科的实际方面。炼金术论文中存在的实际材料和实验的许多引用在很大程度上被忽略或隔离，部分原因是它们似乎以混乱的语言混乱，或者是因为将目前的思想转移到过去，历史学家认为Alchemy与魔术或哲学相比与真正的科学有更多的关系。结果，早期的现代“炼金术”和“化学”经常被人为地隔离，一些学术工作使炼金术实验室的流行形象持续了，作为魔术和晦涩艺术的不守规矩的空间。几乎没有进行研究寻求金属变型的熟练者与哲学家的石头之间的关系，以及似乎更严格的工艺品，从而利用矿物质的矿物质有系统地研究自然的秘密。重新研究的研究已经开始使用实验室笔记本，并使用更严格的文本出版物来重新构造早期千代人的实用性。这些方法以及我自己的考古学工作越来越强调，理论表述是基于实际的实验室实验，Chrysopoeia或Goldmaking只是在实用的末端的更广泛的曲目中，而炼金术不能与传统上漫不经心的领域隔离地研究，例如矿物质，例如矿物，Metallurgy和Metalallurge和Metalallurge和Metalallurge和Methallurge和Metalallurge和Methallurge和Methallurge和Metalallurge和Methallurge和Methallurge和Metherallergy。这项团契的主要目的是完成现代世界早期的题为“炼金术和化学考古学”的学术专着，该专着将证实上述思想，并就欧洲发掘的最著名的现代现代考古实验室进行了一系列案例研究。其中包括在卡普芬堡（奥地利）的农村环境中的一个小秘密实验室，这是来自奥伯斯托克斯托尔教堂（奥地利）的特殊保存完好的实验室，分别来自詹姆斯敦和魁北克的测定，分别是北美的第一个英国和法国殖民地，以及北美的第一个英国和法国殖民地，以及在牛津大学的老阿什梅尔实验室 - 宗教式的求解。为考古询问打开了一个新领域，并提供了一种有用的方法来纠正某些历史工作的过时，过度的概括和理论偏见。通过分析实验室工具的起源和质量，以及有关对其进行实验的残留物，可以访问实验室的实际维度，从业者的技术知识以及对自然的潜在理解。重要的是，我们可以从考古数据中推断出的科学定律和对材料的特性的理解表明，炼金术实验室中取得了许多科学成就，比从历史来源明显的早得多。此外，材料仍然说明了除黄金制造之外的一系列实验，例如与锌，水星和玻璃的过程，这将促使科学技术的历史学家多样化其研究重点。这本书将主要针对考古学家和科学史学家，但它将在任何教育的读者中都可以彻底说明和书写。利用炼金术和考古学的普及，该出版物将被用作跳板，通过媒体互动和进一步流行的传播来增加公众参与。这项工作还将直接进入各自博物馆的考古材料展览。