Resulting from two conferences held in Rhodes in 2018, this volume celebrates the bridge between archaeology and science (chemistry) that together enables a deeper understanding of both pre-modern artefacts and the methods of producing them. In 23 short chapters, which fall into two parts, contributors examine the methods and commodities of kiln (fire) technology (metals, plasters, glass and glaze, aromatics/perfumed oils), with a focus on the Aegean (mainland Greece and the islands).
Part One focuses on kiln technologies with the aim of tracing technological innovations in methodologies and the use of materials in Classical Antiquity (from the Bronze Age into the Classical Era, c. 1400 BC–200 AD). Three themes connect the chapters: the importance of every scrap of evidence (production debris, slag, half-finished pieces, contemporaneous literary evidence, including mud and lime plaster: e.g. Chapter 7); the link between technology and social history; and the importance of applying scientific analysis to archaeological subjects. Technology is complex and evolving, working hand in glove with political norms and social conventions that can only flourish under the authority of a stable, central power.
The 14 chapters in Part One include a mix of approachable overviews and highly technical case studies. The latter are well documented and richly illustrated with charts and graphs, but may be of greater interest to the expert (among the more demanding chapters are: Chapter 2 on firing temperatures; Chapter 9 on the history of painted plaster; Chapter 10 on a glass workshop in Thessaloniki). Most of the chapters are also richly illustrated with colour or black-and-white images.
Of particular interest is the treatment of Minoan and Mycenaean technologies, which shows the intricacy and sophistication of the earliest fire technologies in the Aegean. In Chapter 3 (on the development of metallurgy in Minoan Crete), James Muhly shows that the extent of Bronze Age metalwork together with the international trade of precious materials (including metals) has been severely underestimated. In Chapter 4 (on Mycenaean metalwork), Charilaos E. Tselios usefully connects advances in technology with a stabilised, centralised political authority under which communication networks and the flow of raw materials becomes more reliable, and alloy types are standardised, thus improving the standards of living with better harbours, roads and fleets. Relying on a rich trove of documentary evidence, Ioannis Fappas provides a compelling account of the production and significance of aromatic oils within Minoan society (Chapter 13). A beneficial complement is Holly Martlew's ‘A Minoan perfumery’ (Chapter 14), a delight to read for its clarity and enthusiasm, wherein the arcana of organic residue analysis are unravelled like a mystery story.
Two chapters forefront experiments that replicate ancient techniques. Gerhard Zimmer (Chapter 5) explores new understandings of bronze-casting workshops as revealed by archaeometry (scientific methods that determine the age, origins or circumstances of archaeological remains), complementary evidence from Athenian and Rhodian workshops, and bronze-casting experiments at Murlo, Siena. Using artistic and literary evidence, Eleni Konstantinidi-Syvridi, Nikolas Papadimitriou and Akis Goumas reconstruct the experience of Mycenaean artisans who worked in gold (Chapter 6). Especially fascinating is their experimental reconstruction showing that experienced modern craftsmen can, through morphology, identify the tools employed by ancient craftsmen (tools that do not survive in the archaeological record). Also fruitful is Ioanna Papayiama's discussion of hydraulic mortars (Chapter 8), which includes a clarifying overview, map, chronological chart and discussion of natural pozzolans (not restricted to the famous pozzolana of Pozzuoli in Italy).
In honour of Rhodes, where both conferences occurred, Part Two highlights Rhodian technology in nine chapters, focusing on ceramics, glass and conservation. The tone of these chapters aligns with the balance between narrative overview and deep chemical analysis that characterises the first part, but the chronological focus is greater, including medieval initiatives and advances under the Ottoman Empire that continued to be practised into the modern era. This is a little jarring. The topics, furthermore, do not cohere thematically. Three chapters apply archaeometrical methods to investigate indigenous materials that were carved: obsidian blades (Chapter 21 by Maria Diakostamatiou), Lartian stone (Chapter 19 by Eleni Papavassiliou, Kalliope Bairami, Yannis Maniatis and Dimitris Tambakopoulos), and Koan stone (Chapter 20 by Eirene A. Poupaki) employed in local architecture.
Nonetheless, three intriguing chapters synergistically explore Rhodian ceramics. Natasha Psarologaki focuses on imported glazed ceramics, especially from the renowned workshops of Iznik (Nicea in western Turkey), to show the importance of Rhodes as a link between the Ottoman east and the Western Mediterranean (Chapter 16). From Rhodes, the distinctive Iznik style (cobalt-blue decorations and transparent lead glaze) was disseminated to the Italians who also prized it. Yiannos Ioannidis discusses the history of the Industrie Ceramiche Artistiche Rodio-Orientali pottery factory, established on Rhodes to produce Iznik-inspired pottery after the island fell under Italian control (1928–1988: Chapter 17). Evangelia Gantotaki delves into technical aspects of the production of that Iznik-inspired pottery (for example, the transition from wood to petroleum to electricity and the techniques for applying complicated patterns: Chapter 18).
This volume is a collection of dense chapters that focus very narrowly on the intersection of archaeology and chemistry. As in any compilation, there is some unevenness. Some chapters are more approachable than others in terms of content and style. The expert will no doubt find much of value including useful comparanda for other pre-modern societies. The non-expert, however, will likely find this work a challenging read. But even the educated lay person who approaches the material with great patience may also be rewarded with new perspectives on ongoing questions.
