Chemical Technology in Antiquity

Chemistry is intimately involved in the development of the oldest known civilizations, resulting in a range of chemical technologies that not only continue to be part of modern civilized societies, but are so commonplace that it would be hard to imagine life without them. Such chemical technology has a very long and rich history, in some cases dating back to as early as 20,000 BCE.

"Chemistry Technology in Antiquity" aims to present the discovery, development, and early history of a range of such chemical technologies, with the added goal of including a number of smaller subjects often ignored in the presentation of early chemical technology. While the book does not aim to be a comprehensive coverage of the full range of chemical technologies practiced during antiquity, it provides a feel and appreciation for both the deep history involved with these topics, as well as the complexity of the chemical processes that were being utilized at such a very early time period.

Seth C. Rasmussen is a Professor of Chemistry at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo. He received his B.S in Chemistry from Washington State University in 1990 and his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Clemson University in 1994, under the guidance of Prof. John D. Peterson. As a postdoctoral associate at the University of Oregon, he then studied conjugated organic polymers under Prof. James E. Hutchison. In 1997, he accepted a teaching position at the University of Oregon, before moving to join the faculty at NDSU in 1999. As both an author and editor, Prof. Rasmussen has contributed to books in both materials and history and has published more than 80 research papers and book chapters. He also currently serves as the Program Chair for the History of Chemistry division of the American Chemical Society and as the series editor for the Springer Briefs in Molecular Science: History of Chemistry book series.