Page "Alloy" Paragraph 22

Many ancient civilizations alloyed metals for purely aesthetic purposes.

In ancient Egypt and Mycenae, gold was often alloyed with copper to produce red-gold, or iron to produce a bright burgundy-gold.

Silver was often found alloyed with gold.

These metals were also used to strengthen each other, for more practical purposes.

Quite often, precious metals were alloyed with less valuable substances as a means to deceive buyers.

Around 250 BC, Archimedes was commissioned by the king to find a way to check the purity of the gold in a crown, leading to the famous bath-house shouting of " Eureka!

" upon the discovery of Archimedes ' principle.