MUREX USES IN PLASTER FEATURES IN THE AEGEAN AND EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN BRONZE AGE

Abstract

Plaster may be the oldest man-made, synthetic product ever created by people. They altered the available raw materials chemically through heat and water until a usable product was manufactured. First, a brief overview of the use of marine shells in its chronological and geographical framework, more specifically, the use of Murex shells within the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age, is outlined and discussed to contextualize the paper's content. Second, the chemical and structural/physical composition of all materials are explained in order to demonstrate their importance in recognizing the raw materials' involvement in plaster manufacturing processes and to clarify the properties of the materials, in relation to their function.

In relation to various technological aspects of shell lime plaster production and use, interesting experimental work has been carried out. This experiment and subsequent analysis is outlined and its outcome is discussed within the context of this paper's aim and is located in its archaeological context to demonstrate its full meaning.