9781422279434

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Aluminum

The truth is that aluminum—of a kind—was used in ancient times. However, while the gold, silver and iron of the past civilizations were pretty much the same as they are today, the aluminum used by earlier civilizations was not the pure aluminum we use today. Instead, com- pounds that turned out to include aluminum were used every day.

Alum, which is a chemical com- pound, was used by Egyptians more than 5,000 years ago to help set dyes in fabric and oth- er materials. Aluminum silicates were added to clay by Persian potters for added strength. A type of aluminum sulfate was used by ancient Greeks as an astringent. However, we don’t find any true aluminum cups or weapons or tools in any ancient civilization. The reason is that while the

Ancient pottery shows chemical signs of aluminum in the clay.

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