Lenses in Antiquity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4534743 |
|---|---|
| Authors | George Sines, Yannis A Sakellarakis, Yannis Sakellarakis |
| Year | 1987 |
| Volume | 91 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 191-196 |
| Publication date | 1987-04-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9114 • E-ISSN: 1939-828X |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2307/505216 |
| OpenAlex | W2317611186 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
A recent find in the Idaean Cave in Crete of two rock crystal lenses of unusually good optical quality led to this investigation of other lenses from antiquity. The evidence indicates that the use of lenses was widespread throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin over several millennia. The quality of some of these lenses was sufficient to permit their use as magnifying glasses. The use of lenses as burning glasses in Classical Greece is noted, as is the need for magnifying lenses to authenticate seal impressions. The probability that magnifying lenses were used by gem carvers and seal engravers is discussed. The fine detail of Roman gold-glass portrait medallions and the discovery of a lens in the house of an engraver in Pompeii and another in the house of an artist in Tanis are presented as evidence for the use of the lenses for magnifying purposes. Methods of producing optical quality lenses by simple procedures are also presented
Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Cave · Geography · Lens (geology) · Portrait · Seal (emblem) · Visual arts · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Geology · Historical and Architectural Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Paleontology
| Citations per year | 0.08 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1990 - 2023 (34) |
| Highly cited | No |