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The Old Ashmolean Museum and Oxford's Seventeenth-Century Chymical Community: A Material Culture Approach To
Umberto Veronesi1, Marcos Martinón-Torres2
1University College London, United Kingdom.
Ambix
|January 24, 2022
Summary
This study analyzes artifacts from Oxford
Area of Science:
- History of Science
- Material Culture Studies
- Early Modern Chemistry
Background:
- The Ashmolean Museum housed Oxford University's first official chemistry chair in the late 17th century.
- Practical teaching was led by Robert Plot in a basement laboratory, with limited written records.
- Archaeological recovery yielded significant ceramic and distillation apparatus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the experimental practices of a key early modern European chemistry laboratory.
- To understand the intersection of artisanal and scholarly work in 17th-century chemistry.
- To highlight the value of material culture in reconstructing scientific practices.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of recovered ceramic crucibles and distillation apparatus.
- Scientific examination of material composition and technological innovation.
- Historical contextualization of laboratory activities and collaborations.
Main Results:
- Material analysis revealed focus on technological innovation in glassmaking, pottery, and zinc metallurgy.
- Evidence of close collaboration between the laboratory and artisan-entrepreneurs.
- The laboratory operated at the nexus of craft and academic pursuits.
Conclusions:
- Material culture provides crucial insights into historical chemical practices.
- The Old Ashmolean Museum laboratory exemplified a Baconian spirit, integrating practical craft with scholarly inquiry.
- This research offers a fresh perspective on the Old Ashmolean Museum's scientific contributions.
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