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Of Goblins and Gods -

Of Goblins and Gods

3,500 Years of Cobalt and Its Pigments
Buch | Hardcover
300 Seiten
2026
Leuven University Press (Verlag)
978-94-6270-498-5 (ISBN)
CHF 119,95 inkl. MwSt
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The historical and technological significance of cobalt and its compounds

Cobalt: named after goblins, allotted to gods.

Cobalt and its compounds have had a long and important part to play in history. Metallic cobalt is a modern innovation, vital in the green energy transition. However, cobalt compounds have been used for 3,500 years to create deep-blue pigments, featuring in many important works of art and religious artefacts, associated with heaven, eternity and the divine. Cobalt ores are rare, and their exploitation is a dangerous pursuit. Their co-occurrence with arsenic has led to severe health consequences for workers, which were blamed on supernatural spirits and goblins, “kobolds”, from which the name cobalt is derived. Of Goblins and Gods discusses the state-of-the-art extraction and use of cobalt ores through history, alongside the technology involved in making and applying cobalt pigments in many man-made materials across all regions and periods, from the Death Mask of Tutankhamun and pre-Islamic tiles to Indian manuscripts and the windows of Canterbury Cathedral.

Andrew Shortland is professor of Archaeological Science at Cranfield University, working on the identification and interpretation of material culture from the ancient and historical worlds. Andrew Shortland is professor of Archaeological Science at Cranfield University, working on the identification and interpretation of material culture from the ancient and historical worlds. Victoria Kemp is postdoctoral research assistant at the Ashmolean Museum, applying surface imaging techniques and compositional analysis to study painting materials and techniques. Victoria Kemp is postdoctoral research assistant at the Ashmolean Museum, applying surface imaging techniques and compositional analysis to study painting materials and techniques. Lasse Hermansen Bjørnland is historian and museum pedagogist, working at the Norwegian Blue Colour Works. Lasse Hermansen Bjørnland is historian and museum pedagogist, working at the Norwegian Blue Colour Works. Patrick Degryse is professor of Archaeometry at KU Leuven, studying the history and use of mineral resources in ancient technology. Patrick Degryse is professor of Archaeometry at KU Leuven, studying the history and use of mineral resources in ancient technology. Mark Pollard is Edward Hall Professor of Archaeological Science at the Research Laboratory for Archaeology, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, and PI on the ERC Advanced Grant ‘FLAME’. Nadine Schibille is a senior researcher in art history and archaeometry in the Institut de recherche sur les archéomatériaux (IRAMAT-CEB) at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

Erscheint lt. Verlag 16.3.2026
Reihe/Serie Studies in Archaeological Sciences
Zusatzinfo Not illustrated
Verlagsort Leuven
Sprache englisch
Maße 155 x 233 mm
Themenwelt Geisteswissenschaften Archäologie
ISBN-10 94-6270-498-8 / 9462704988
ISBN-13 978-94-6270-498-5 / 9789462704985
Zustand Neuware
Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR)
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