| It is not possible to write a chapter about the mineral galena without looking at the history of lead and silver to name two of the most important raw materials and materials of humanity. How long people processed galena as main ore for the production of lead is unknown. As lead inter alia used as a ... moreIt is not possible to write a chapter about the mineral galena without looking at the history of lead and silver to name two of the most important raw materials and materials of humanity. How long people processed galena as main ore for the production of lead is unknown. As lead inter alia used as an additive to various melts (e.g. to bronze and the salt-cementation process for gold extraction) one can assume that the properties of this mineral were known before 3000 BC. Other sources speak of a history of lead about 7000-9000 years BC back. |
| Iin 1546 Georgius Agricola reported about a white metal which is fused to the Rammelsberg lead and silver melter and that you could scrape off. He called this metal "contrefey", because it could imitate gold. Agricola did not recognize that this metal was zinc. He further observed that a similar met ... moreIin 1546 Georgius Agricola reported about a white metal which is fused to the Rammelsberg lead and silver melter and that you could scrape off. He called this metal "contrefey", because it could imitate gold. Agricola did not recognize that this metal was zinc. He further observed that a similar metal, which he named from some unknown reasons "ZINCUM" arose under similar circumstances in Silesia during smelting. |