LOST ARTS.
The ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Romans had a knowledge of some things in chemistry which we do not posses. Such as to make malleable glass. They also knew how to color and gild glass by a procesa unknown to us. Bronze and copper were tempered to the hardness of steel, and of this the Egyptians made their edged tools. Paints were mixed whose colors v ere imperishable, at least they have existed fresh for 4000 years. At Damascus they made blades of steel which could be bent into a circle and would fly back into perfect line. Neither this nor the gold tracery in their steel can we imitate to-day. We do not know how Kingßameses and Thotmes transported monoliths and elevated them on the pyramids ; though we conld do the same today by other processes. Artisans and chemists have in vain tried to reproduce iridescent glass which archaeologists have brought to light. This does not complete the catalogue, but it is enough to show that the ancients were by no means unskilled.
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Bibliographic details
Grey River Argus, Volume XXXV, Issue 6007, 10 October 1887, Page 4
Word Count
175LOST ARTS. Grey River Argus, Volume XXXV, Issue 6007, 10 October 1887, Page 4
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