A Pb-based synthetic mineral referred to as psimythion (pl. psimythia) was manufactured in the Greek world at least since the 6th c BCE and routinely by the 4th c BCE. Theophrastus (On Stones, 56) describes its preparation from metallic Pb suspended over a fermenting liquid. Psimythion is considered the precursor of one of western art’s most prominent white pigments, i.e. lead white (basic lead carbonate or synthetic hydrocerussite). However, so far, and for that early period, published analyses of psimythia suggest that they consisted primarily of synthetic cerussite. In this paper, we set out to investigate how it was possible to manufacture pure cerussite, to the near exclusion of other phases. We examined the chemical and mineralogical composition (pXRF/XRD) of a small number of psimythion pellets found within ceramic pots (pyxis) from Athens and Boeotia (5th–4th c BCE) in the collection of the National Archaeological Museum (NAM), Athens. Analyses showed that the NAM pellets consisted primarily of Pb/cerussite with small amounts of Ca (some samples) and a host of metallic trace elements. We highlight the reference in the Theophrastus text to ‘spoiled wine’ (oxos), rather than ‘vinegar’, as has been previously assumed, the former including a strong biotic component. We carried out DNA sequencing of the pellets in an attempt to establish presence of microorganisms (Acetic Acid Bacteria). None was found. Subsequently, and as a working hypothesis, we propose a series of (biotic/abiotic) reactions which were likely to have taken place in the liquid and vapour phases and on the metal surface. The hypothesis aims to demonstrate that CO₂ would be microbially induced and would increase, as a function of time, resulting in cerussite forming over and above hydrocerussite/other Pb-rich phases. Psimythion has for long been valued as a white pigment. What has perhaps been not adequately appreciated is the depth of empirical understanding from the part of psimythion manufacturers of the reactions between abiotic and biotic components within ‘oxos’/pot, as key drivers of minerals synthesis. Ultimately, psimythion manufacture may rest in understanding the nature of ‘oxos’, antiquity’s relatively little researched strongest acid.

至少从公元前6世纪开始，在希腊世界，至少在公元前4世纪开始在希腊世界生产一种称为psimythion（pl。psimythia）的基于Pb的合成矿物。Theophrastus（在石头上，56）描述了由悬浮在发酵液上的金属铅制备的方法。Psimythion被认为是西方艺术中最突出的白色颜料之一的前体，即白色铅（碱性碳酸铅或合成水陶粒）。但是，到目前为止，在那个早期，关于psimythia的已发表分析表明它们主要由合成的陶粒组成。在本文中，我们着手研究在几乎不排除其他相的情况下如何制造纯铜铁矿。我们检查了陶瓷锅（pyxis）中发现的少量psiththion颗粒的化学和矿物学组成（pXRF / XRD））来自雅典和Boeotia（公元前5至4世纪），并被雅典国家考古博物馆（NAM）收藏。分析表明，NAM颗粒主要由铅/铈铁矿和少量的钙（一些样品）和大量金属微量元素组成。我们强调Theophrastus文本中对“变质酒”（oxos）的引用，而不是像以前所假定的“醋”，前者包括强生物成分。我们对沉淀物进行了DNA测序，以试图建立微生物（乙酸细菌）的存在。没有发现。随后，作为一种可行的假设，我们提出了一系列可能在液相和气相以及金属表面上发生的（生物/非生物）反应。该假设旨在证明₂将被微生物诱导，并随时间增加，导致陶粒在水陶粒/其他富Pb相之上形成。柿硫磷长期以来一直被视为白色颜料。psimythion制造商对作为矿物质合成的主要驱动力的“ oxos” /罐内非生物和生物成分之间的反应的经验理解的深度可能未得到充分的理解。归根结底，psimythion的制造可能取决于对“ oxos”的性质的了解，oxos是上古研究相对较少的最强酸。