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Question on the inclusion of pitchblende

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JWFokker:
I noticed that pitchblende is included in the list of upcoming minerals and there's a note regarding it's use for making yellow glass. To me this seems to be something of an anachronism, as uranium oxide wasn't used for this purpose until the early 1800's. Previously it was only used as a pigment for ceramic glazes.

Gaulgath:
Yes, but 18th century Earth didn't have dwarves.

Toady One:
Wikipedia has a source claiming the year 79 as the earliest confirmed date, and another for the late middle ages, which is what I was going by, although it says its use was popularized later on.wikipedia on uranium glass

JWFokker:
quote:Originally posted by Gaulgath:
<STRONG>Yes, but 18th century Earth didn't have dwarves.</STRONG>Thanks for that witty and predictable response. quote:Originally posted by Toady One:
<STRONG>Wikipedia has a source claiming the year 79 as the earliest confirmed date, and another for the late middle ages, which is what I was going by, although it says its use was popularized later on.wikipedia on uranium glass</STRONG>The problem with Wikipedia's entry is that they don't include the criticisms that have been leveled at that information and the questions that it creates. First, the Roman glass that was discovered in 1912 is the only sample ever found containing uranium from that time period. There haven't been any more samples like it discovered since. And that raises the issue of why it went unused for nearly two millenia. Silver was the predominant ingredient used to create yellow glass until the 12th century when glassmakers began to use lead-tin oxide, (which later fell from favor around 1750).

Veroule:
It is largely a question of availablity of the mineral.  Different minerals will be used depending on which was discovered to work by whatever group of humans are bring the trade into the area.  Then if they can't get supplies of that mineral anymore they start trying others and ultimately find another that works.  So a small supply of pitchblend was available in some areas near Rome.  As its ran out various wars and things destroyed the knowledge of using it and other materials were found elsewhere.It is rather like early electricity.  I believe it was something like 1000BC that some basic voltaic cells were dated to.  However there seemed to be nothing they were used for, and of course electricity was a basically forgotten for a long time.

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