Volcanic rock sheds new light on relations among ancient cultures
Pumice, a lightweight volcanic rock, was used in ancient times as a cosmetic remedy and also as an abrasive. A product of high demand, it unleashed an intense commercial activity among Egyptian, Syrian, Minoan and other Mediterranean cultures. In Egypt, pumice has been found in ancient workshops. In some of the excavations, there was even rock that still presented the right abrasion traces. They were used to polish sculptures, constructions, bronze objects, and so forth.
Based on pumice specific chemical composition, researchers from Vienna University of Technology can generate a chemical fingerprint and compare rock types from archaeological excavations to determine their origin. Egyptians have surely ordered pumice from Greece.
When a pumice lump from the volcano in Thera (Santorini), whose eruption in about 1,600 B.C. obliterated the Minoan civilization, is found in an excavation, the maximum age of the excavation discovery place can be ascertained.
This research sheds new light on the level of cultural and commercial connections among these well populated civilizations.
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