Abstract
THE use of bituminous materials can be traced back to very early times, and the occurrence of natural asphalts had an undoubted influence on the course of civilization in Eastern countries. A substance which could be softened or liquefied by heat and with which solid materials could be incorporated had obvious practical uses in addition to embalming and sculpture. Perhaps the early civilizations of the Near East may be largely attributed to the possession of a constructional material which could be used as mortar in building, for road-making and, on account of its waterproofing qualities, for the construction of boats and baths.
Asphalts and Allied Substances:
Their Occurrence, Modes of Production, Uses in the Arts and Methods of Testing. By Herbert Abraham. Fourth edition. Pp. xxiv + 1491 + 7 plates. (London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1938). 60s. net.
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Asphalt: Bitumen: Pitch. Nature 142, 654–655 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/142654a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/142654a0
