Separating Metals in Cupellation Furnace, Agricola's De Re M

Alchemists or metallurgists separating lead from silver or gold in a cupellation furnace, in a woodcut from Agricola's De Re Metallica. Georgius Agricola (March 24, 1494 - November 21, 1555) was a German scholar known as the father of mineralogy. His book De Re Metallica, published in 1556, was a treatise on mining and extractive metallurgy, illustrated with woodcuts illustrating processes to extract ores from the ground and metal from the ore, and the many uses of water mills in mining. Agricola described and illustrated how ore veins occur in and on the ground, making the work an early contribution to the developing science of geology. He described prospecting for ore veins and surveying in great detail, as well as washing the ores to collect the heavier valuable minerals, such as gold and tin. It was also an important chemistry text for the period and is significant in the history of chemistry. De re metallica is considered a classic document of Renaissance metallurgy, unsurpassed for two centuries. This image has been colorized

Restrictions Only for Ireland and United Kingdom

Agricola Alchemic Alchemical Alchemy Bauer Boss Crucible Cupellation Foreman Forge Furnace Geologic Geological Geologically Georgius Metallica Metallurgist Metallurgy Metals Overseer Pawer Separate Sixteenth Supervisor Woodblock

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > PHR