Publications of before 1600 (including new discussions on old works)
Egypt: Stockholm | Leyden Papyrus
Leyden Papyrus and Stockholm Papyrus
Fortunately, there have been saved to our times two important Egyptian works on chemicals processes; the earliest original sources on such subjects discovered at Thebes (South Egypt), and both formed part of a collection of Egyptian papyrus manuscripts written in Greek and collected in the early years of the nineteenth by Johann d’ Anastay, vice-consul of Sweden at Alexandria.
The main part of this collection was sold in 1828 by the collector to
the Netherlands government and was deposited in the University of
Leyden. In 1885, C. Leemans completed the publication of a critical
edition of the texts with a Latin translation of a number of these
manuscripts, including both works mentioned above.
Leyden Papyrus Stockholm Papyrus
Aristotle "On StonesThe Greek Philosopher Aristotle wrote an extensive Natural Historical work "Meteorology " where Book IV deals with Geology, Precious Metals such as Gold and Gemstones. One of the earliest Geological works.
Albertus Magnus: "Virtue of Herbs, Stones and Certain Beasts"
Albertus Magnus (1206-1280) actually copied a great deal from earlier works of Damigeron and Isodore of Seville. Work is less gemological as it deals with the medicinal qualities of Stones: dip a Diamond in goat blood --especially after it drank alcohol -- to facilitate splitting it.
Georg Agricola "De Natura Fossilium" and "De Re Metallica"Two great works from the "Father of Mineralogy" Georg Agricola (1494-155). The first REAL mineralogical work: "De Natura Fossilium " with comments and annotations
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Theophrastus "On Stones"
Theophrastus 370 BC - 285 AD, a native of Erressos in Lesbos he was a successor of Aristotle. He
lived in the 3th century BC, and his work "On Stones" is one of the
earliest available works on the different "gemstones". Many gemstones
were identified with the same name, but were in fact a totally
different gemstone or mineral. Here's the original Greek work with extensive interpretation
al-Bīrūnī "On Stones"
Famous Persian scientist, mathematician, philosopher and naturalist Abū Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Bīrūnī (973-1048) wrote an old midieval scientific work discousing knowledge in the Islamic world on gemstones. Islamic science at the time was on its height and centuries ahead of western (European) science. "On Stones " with annotations and discussion.
Baburnama translated by Beveridge
Bāburnāma (Chaghatay/Persian: بابر نامہ; literally: "Book of Babur" or "Letters of Babur" and the great-great-great-grandson of ) are the memoirs of Zāhir ud-Dīn Mohammad Zāhir ud-Dīn Mohammad Bābur (1483-1530), the founder of the Mughal EmpireTimur. It is an autobiographical work, originally written in the Chaghatay language, the spoken language of the Andijan-Timurids.
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