Project description
Glass objects in alchemy and medicine in Mediaeval Cordoba
The use of materials and its role in socioeconomic development is an essential area of archaeology, shedding important light on past cultures. Recent progress has highlighted the importance of glass throughout history. Studies in the Iberian Peninsula have focused primarily on the types of glasses used during Roman times. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the GALENE project will combine traditional studies, experimental archaeology and the chemical analysis of materials to evaluate the use of glass in Cordoba, Spain in alchemy and medicine during Mediaeval times. The project will investigate the origin, manufacturing method and evolution of glass vessels and other objects, with especial attention to the female gender.
Objective
The study of material culture is one of the main tools for the past societies’ knowledge. Recently, new techniques, protocols and disciplines applied to traditional archaeological methodology have proved that glass played an important role in economic and social development through history. Regard to the Iberian Peninsula, works on archaeological glasses has focused on purely typological issues, above all from the Roman times, leaving aside other later historical periods. As part of our cultural heritage, the study of glass in al-Andalus can help to understand aspects and practices of Andalusian societies. For this reason, the project ‘Glass, alchemy and medicine. Evidences of domestic practices in the capital of the Andalusian Caliphate’ (GALENE) is proposed, which main objective is to establish the classification of glass for cosmetic and medicinal uses in domestic contexts of this period. This project proposes the study of an important set of glasses from Cordoba (Spain) by combining different skills and multidisciplinary approaches (traditional studies, experimental archaeology and the chemical analysis of materials) to determine for the first time the importance of glass in alchemy and medicine in Medieval times, the origin and manufacture of these vessels and objects, their evolution and whom used them, with especial attention to the female gender. GALENE will be conducted by Dr Velo at the Glass and Ceramics for the Arts (VICARTE) research unit of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal), under the supervision of Prof Vilarigues. VICARTE is a research group of international relevance that combines different areas for the study of glass in antiquity and in the plastic arts. This centre has the facilities and technology necessary for the development of this project that will reinforce the protection of our cultural heritage and contribute to the integrity of the cultural diversity of today’s society, which is the result of our past and history.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- humanitieshistory and archaeologyhistoryancient history
- humanitiesarts
- humanitieshistory and archaeologyarchaeology
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringceramics
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
1099 085 Lisboa
Portugal