How Much Did Pliny Know about Glass? (15 min)
Presenters
Katherine Larson, Corning Museum of Glass
Abstract
In book 37 of Natural
History, Pliny describes the origins of glass, glass chemistry and
composition, technologies of fabrication, and the relationship of glass and
other materials. Some of his assertions, such as the inclusion of Belus River
sand and Wadi Natrun salts, have been validated by modern research, while
others, such as the invention of a flexible glass, have not borne out. In this
short talk, I evaluate several of Pliny’s major claims about the nature of
glass against contemporary understandings of Roman glass technology.
AIA-2A