As part of our Series in Early Distillation, on Monday, Manuela Marai (Warwick) returns to the group (virtually, anyway) to discuss her newest findings on pitch / pine distillation in the ancient Mediterranean, especially in Greek medical sources. Attached are a handout and paper for the talk.

While visiting the group in December 2021, Manuela, with Jakub and Jan, conducted experiments on the methods of processing resins described in Ancient Greco-Roman botanical and medical texts. In addition to their use in perfume-making, these materials were common ingredients in wound healing remedies. During her stay, she tested some procedures for separating the fractions of resins and pine tar as described in Greek and Latin sources such as Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, and Galen.

Details

Speaker: Manuela Marai, University of Warwick
Title: Distillation in The Graeco-Roman World: Production and Fractionation of Resinous Substances for Pharmaceutical Use
Date: Monday, 7 February 2022
Time: 14:30 – 16:00 CET
Location: Remote (zoom)

For Zoom link and details, email alchemiesofscent@flu.cas.cz.