[Jewelry making - Article 00634] - Re: [Orchid] Ancient Coin Technology

[Laura Wiesler]

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    Don't sell those ancients short -- I truely think there was a great
    deal of "scientific" and "technical" knowledge that has been lost
    over the years.  I worked on an archaeological dig at Caesarea, most
    of which was underwater. It is a port that was contstructed
    --underwater-- by Herod.  And that is the most interesting part. 

    At this particular site on the Mediterranean, there are no naturally
    occuring underwater strutctures which make ports what they are -- so
    the Romans made some.  They floated large (football field sized)
    caissons into the water and filled them with what is called hydraulic
    cement.   Then they sunk them -- in very precise alignment -- thus
    creating structures underwater that Nature did not, and giving the
    Romans the most direct route to the salt that they wanted.  At the
    time that I worked on this dig -- we (meaning our engineers here in
    the U.S.) were trying to figure out how they made that stuff and then
    how they sunk those caissons so precisely. . . I am always in awe of
    what I learn of history -- just an aside to the conversation 

    Laura Wiesler P.S.  I bought a first century coin while I was there
    and it is one of my most prized posessions -- a constant reminder of
    the richness of that experience!!

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