Glass, alchemy and medicine. Evidences of domestic practices in the capital of the Andalusi Caliphate

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.