The territory of the Balkan Peninsula in SE Europe is reviewed, from the point of gemmology, as the cradle of gem and decorative minerals and metals in European prehistory. During the local Neolithic period (end of 7 ...The territory of the Balkan Peninsula in SE Europe is reviewed, from the point of gemmology, as the cradle of gem and decorative minerals and metals in European prehistory. During the local Neolithic period (end of 7 th -6 th millennium BC), as material for tools or for beads, nephrite (with the earliest known Balkan nephrite culture), jadeite-omphacite and quartz (different varieties) were introduced to make pendants and idols. Large quantities of copper and gold artifacts are known since the Chalcolithic period (5 th millennium BC)(unique for the region;the largest in number of gold artifacts is the Varna I Chalcolithic necropolis in Bulgaria). The gemmological materials in the Balkans are known for malachite, antigorite serpentinite, turquoise, rock crystal, carnelian, jasper, jet and obsidian. In the Varna I necropolis (mid 5 th millennium BC) are recorded the first known complex faceted carnelian beads with 32 facets, as well as some of the most important gemmological techniques and procedures such as faceting, tumbling, annealing, miniaturization and standardization. As pigments for pottery, cinnabar, graphite and gold were used in different prehistoric sites. The earliest salt production in the Balkans is known from sites in Romania and Bulgaria, and because of its trade, salt is positively linked to a population rich with prestigious goods. The introduced possible Chalcolithic weight unit “van”(2 carats) is supposed to be the earliest known in prehistoric times.展开更多
He who sees things grow from the beginning will have the best view of them.-Aristotle Gemmology, in its modern form, has grown so refined,so intricate, that it sometimes forgets to breathe. For this special issue of t...He who sees things grow from the beginning will have the best view of them.-Aristotle Gemmology, in its modern form, has grown so refined,so intricate, that it sometimes forgets to breathe. For this special issue of the Journal of Gems&Gemmology,we’ve opened the windows. What you’ll find here is a gathering of voices--diverse in tone, wide in scope--speaking not only of stones, but of stories, of histories, of big questions that shimmer just beyond the reach of certainty.展开更多
AbūRayhān Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Bīrūnīwas born in 973 CE in what is now Uzbekistan.A polymath of the Islamic Golden Age,he distinguished himself in numerous fields,including medicine,astronomy,history,mathematics...AbūRayhān Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Bīrūnīwas born in 973 CE in what is now Uzbekistan.A polymath of the Islamic Golden Age,he distinguished himself in numerous fields,including medicine,astronomy,history,mathematics,physics,mineralogy,gemmology,encyclopedism,geography,philosophy,sociology,and travel.His vast intellectual contributions rank him among the greatest minds of any era.The author of some 145works,tragically,many of these are now lost.Given the sheer scale and depth of his intellectual legacy,any attempt to comprehensively study al-Bīrūnís contributions is inevitably limited and fraught with gaps.However,what we do know demonstrates that this was a remarkable man,on the order of an Aristotle or Einstein.And yet much of the world has never even heard of him.This paper will largely focus on his gemmological work while also touching on his other accomplishments.展开更多
文摘The territory of the Balkan Peninsula in SE Europe is reviewed, from the point of gemmology, as the cradle of gem and decorative minerals and metals in European prehistory. During the local Neolithic period (end of 7 th -6 th millennium BC), as material for tools or for beads, nephrite (with the earliest known Balkan nephrite culture), jadeite-omphacite and quartz (different varieties) were introduced to make pendants and idols. Large quantities of copper and gold artifacts are known since the Chalcolithic period (5 th millennium BC)(unique for the region;the largest in number of gold artifacts is the Varna I Chalcolithic necropolis in Bulgaria). The gemmological materials in the Balkans are known for malachite, antigorite serpentinite, turquoise, rock crystal, carnelian, jasper, jet and obsidian. In the Varna I necropolis (mid 5 th millennium BC) are recorded the first known complex faceted carnelian beads with 32 facets, as well as some of the most important gemmological techniques and procedures such as faceting, tumbling, annealing, miniaturization and standardization. As pigments for pottery, cinnabar, graphite and gold were used in different prehistoric sites. The earliest salt production in the Balkans is known from sites in Romania and Bulgaria, and because of its trade, salt is positively linked to a population rich with prestigious goods. The introduced possible Chalcolithic weight unit “van”(2 carats) is supposed to be the earliest known in prehistoric times.
文摘He who sees things grow from the beginning will have the best view of them.-Aristotle Gemmology, in its modern form, has grown so refined,so intricate, that it sometimes forgets to breathe. For this special issue of the Journal of Gems&Gemmology,we’ve opened the windows. What you’ll find here is a gathering of voices--diverse in tone, wide in scope--speaking not only of stones, but of stories, of histories, of big questions that shimmer just beyond the reach of certainty.
文摘AbūRayhān Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Bīrūnīwas born in 973 CE in what is now Uzbekistan.A polymath of the Islamic Golden Age,he distinguished himself in numerous fields,including medicine,astronomy,history,mathematics,physics,mineralogy,gemmology,encyclopedism,geography,philosophy,sociology,and travel.His vast intellectual contributions rank him among the greatest minds of any era.The author of some 145works,tragically,many of these are now lost.Given the sheer scale and depth of his intellectual legacy,any attempt to comprehensively study al-Bīrūnís contributions is inevitably limited and fraught with gaps.However,what we do know demonstrates that this was a remarkable man,on the order of an Aristotle or Einstein.And yet much of the world has never even heard of him.This paper will largely focus on his gemmological work while also touching on his other accomplishments.
