Abstract
In this chapter we present a few examples of materials science and engineering and nanomaterials and nanotechnology represented in antiquity. These examples may seem to represent contemporary materials science and engineering concepts but also point up that they are historically pervasive. While ancient metallurgists and materials-related artisans and technologists may not have purposefully devised or designed a materials system, millennia of anecdotal evidence or observations provide compelling support. The examples begin with prospects for concrete casting of some core blocks in the pyramids rather than transporting them from quarries. Asbestos in antiquity illustrates possibly the most multifunctional material ever developed. Carbon nanotubes and related carbonaceous materials are also observed in antiquity along with applications of carbon block and soot derivatives in inks. Nanofibers also play a role in Mayan blue paintings, and colloidal silver and copper are shown to exhibit antibacterial and antifungal action over several millennia linking to contemporary applications involving silver nanoparticles in fiber weaves for socks as a simple example.
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Murr, L.E. (2015). Examples of Materials Science and Engineering in Antiquity. In: Handbook of Materials Structures, Properties, Processing and Performance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01815-7_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01815-7_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-01814-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-01815-7
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