Series in Early Distillation

Manuela Marai will be visiting Alchemies of Scent from the University of Warwick for a workshop to conduct experiments investigating ancient manufacturing and processing of resinous substances. In addition to their use in perfume-making, these are also frequent ingredients in wound-healing recipes.

In particular, we will present work and test procedures to separate the fractions of resins and pine tar as described in Greek and Latin sources such as Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, and Galen.

Schematic reconstruction drawing of a kiln for destructive distillation of pine tar. Image in adapted form in Hennius, A. (2018). Viking Age tar production and outland exploitation. Antiquity, 92(365), 1349-1361. doi:10.15184/aqy.2018.22. Originally from Kurzweil, A. & Todtenhaupt, D.. 1998. Teer und Holz. Unpublished information folder, Museumdorfes Düppel, Berlin.