The Historical Chemist

In the epilogue of this special issue, we will focus on the relationship between humanities and chemistry in the framework of the replication of ancient procedures. In particular we will discuss how an ancient recipe can be interpreted and performed in a modern lab, analyzing the issues in identifying the correct ingredients and approximate the apparatus with what is available in a chemistry lab. This requires an interplay of knowledge between scientists and historians; the implication is that both parties are forced out of their comfort zones in order to reach a deeper understanding of both their fields. Even though it may be obvious how the replications are beneficial to the interpretation of the sources, we will point out what can be gained from this interdisciplinary work by the chemists in terms of both dissemination and pure research.