The History and Archaeology of Materials Symposium

At the Materials Science and Technology 2005 (MS&T’05) conference held in Pittsburgh in September, nine papers were presented at the History and Archaeology of Materials Symposium. The conference was sponsored by TMS, the American Ceramic Society, ASM International, and the Association of Iron and Steel Technology. The symposium provided a forum for studies on the history and archaeology of materials, including papers from France, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The fi rst session began with a quote made by Cyril Stanley Smith, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in 1970: “The history of technology and science should be a signifi cant fraction of all history that is taught in schools and universities. It throws light on all aspects of man’s being and underlies all great social changes.” Smith’s comment underscored the overall purpose of the symposium of offering an opportunity for those involved in the scientifi c study, as well as those interested in the archaeology and history of minerals, metals, ceramics, and other materials, to exchange information, discuss ideas, and learn about the importance of materials to societies. The following are highlights from the six papers that are included in this issue of JOM. The fi rst paper, by Donald L. Gibbon from MATCO, Inc., is “How Roebling Did It: Building the World’s First WireRope Suspension Aqueduct in 1840s Pittsburgh.” This paper was particularly signifi cant since wire-rope suspension structures were fi rst built within a few blocks of Pittsburgh’s convention center, where MS&T’05 was held. The fi rst such structure was a wooden aqueduct on stone piers carrying the Pennsylvania Gregory J. Hildeman