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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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chemistry

Right; A large-area elemental map of a 2 cm fragment of ancient Roman concrete showing a calcium-rich lime clast (in red), which is responsible for the unique self-healing properties in this ancient material. Left; The archaeological site of Privernum, Italy where the sample was collected. Source: Masic et al./MIT News Office

Why Was Roman Concrete So Durable? Scientists Say It Could Heal Itself

Materials scientists have been working with archaeologists and historians for many years, attempting to unlock the fascinating secrets of Roman Empire concrete-making technologies and techniques,...
New study suggests primordial life originated in sea spray. Source: Rysak / Adobe Stock

Chemists Suggest Primordial Life Began in Sea Spray

A team of chemists from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana have discovered a mechanism that could explain how the fundamental ingredients of living cells were first created in the...
Recently, a team of Turkish scientists have recreated a 1200-BC Mesopotamian perfume made by the "world's first female chemist" Tapputi. These glass bottles are full of “modern” perfumes that all benefited from the first scent pioneers of the ancient world. Source: gal2007 / Adobe Stock

3,200-Year-Old Mesopotamian Perfume Recreated from Ancient Text

A woman named Tapputi carried the distinction of being the first female chemist in Mesopotamia and the first female perfume maker anywhere in the world, approximately 3,200 years ago. Working with a...
A Pharaoh's Tomb  By yezep/ Adobe Stock

Science Reveals Smells from Ancient Egyptian Tombs

Scents , aromas, and odors are a profound aspect of the human experience and have been so from our very beginnings. Advances in biomolecular and “omics” science now provide scientists with the means...
A recent international study has proven that the chemical treatments used on Stradivarius violins both preserved them from insects and fungus but also added to their exceptional acoustic properties.                                                        Source: estima / Adobe StocK

Latest Study Reveals Secret Chemical Recipe of Stradivarius Violins

Antonio Stradivari, the legendary Italian luthier and craftsman, had the Midas’ touch for string instruments. It was a craft he (and one other luthier) perfected for the production of acoustically “...
Rivodutri’s Alchemical Door To Enlightenment In 17th Century AD Italy

Rivodutri’s Alchemical Door To Enlightenment In 17th Century Italy

Add magic to natural philosophy and early chemistry knowledge and you have the ancient art of alchemy . Alchemists tried to change various substances into gold and looked hard for the elixir of...
Israel Antiquities Authority excavation of the earliest soap factory in Israel, and the oldest vegan soap factory in the world.     Inset; ancient game board found at the Rahat site.   Source: Emil Aladjem / Israel Antiquities Authority

Oldest Soap Factory in the World Found, and It Was Vegan

Israeli archaeologists have discovered the oldest vegan soap factory in the world in Israel . Archaeologists at the Israel Antiquities Authority ( IAA ) say these ancient soap makers used olive oil...
Egyptian blue shabti figures on display in the Egyptian exhibit at the Louvre in France in 2006.

Eco-Architecture in Egyptian Blue: Scientists Discover Modern Usage for the 4000-Year-Old Pigment

Egyptian blue was a brilliant blue color first created in ancient Egypt over 4000 years ago. Now, scientists have found it to hold unique qualities that can “reduce building energy consumption and...
A Step Closer to Finding the Recipe for Ancient Rome’s Rock-Solid Super-Concrete

A Step Closer to Finding the Recipe for Ancient Rome’s Rock-Solid Super-Concrete

New studies of ancient concrete could teach us more about the amazing techniques of ancient Roman engineering and the secrets behind the incredible longevity of many of their concrete harbor...
From Chrome Plating to Nanotubes: The ‘Modern’ Chemistry First Used in Ancient Times

From Chrome Plating to Nanotubes: The ‘Modern’ Chemistry First Used in Ancient Times

By Mark Lorch | Epoch Times The ancient Babylonians were the first to use sophisticated geometry – a staggering 1,400 years before it was previously thought to have been developed. Sadly, these...
William Blake's “Newton.” (1795) In this work Newton is depicted critically as a "divine geometer".

Making a Magical Substance for Health and Wealth - Discovery of Alchemy Transcripts by Newton

A recent auction has led to the discovery of one of Isaac Newton’s alchemy transcripts, which may just be one step towards creating the magical substance known as the philosopher’s stone. According...
The Pantheon dome - made entirely out of concrete.

From Chrome Plating to Nanotubes: the ‘Modern’ Chemistry First Used in Ancient Times

The ancient Babylonians were the first to use sophisticated geometry – a staggering 1,400 years before it was previously thought to have been developed. Sadly, these mathematical innovations were...
170-Year-Old Champagne Found in Shipwreck

Sunken Treasure: Scientists Taste 170-Year-Old Champagne Found in Shipwreck

What does champagne left on the bottom of the ocean for 170 years taste like? Leather and wet dog, apparently. Those were the initial findings by a team of scientists and lucky tasters after...
Origins of Life Challenged

Assumptions about Origins of Life Challenged

New research from the UNC School of Medicine has raised important questions about exactly how primitive molecule systems managed to replicate themselves and create life, and offers an intriguing view...