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Pozzino shipwreck: Ancient medicine ingredients probed
Medicine that is more than 2,000 years old has been analysed by scientists.
Six tablets were discovered in a tin box onboard an ancient Roman shipwreck (обломки судна), found off the coast of Italy.
Samples (образцы) of the fragile (хрупкий) material revealed that the pharmaceuticals contained animal and plant fats, pine resin (смола) and zinc (цинк) compounds.
Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers said the medicine (лекарство) might have been used to treat (лечить) eye infections.
"I am surprised by the fact we have found so many ingredients and they were very well preserved considering it was under water for so much time," said Maria Perla Colombini, professor of chemistry from the University of Pisa.
The shipwreck that the tablets were found on dates to(относится к) 140-130 BC, and was thought to have been a trading ship sailing from Greece across the Mediterranean.
It was first discovered in 1974 off the coast of Tuscany, and explored during the 1980s and 1990s, but it is only now that the tablets have been fully investigated (изучены).
"We used a very thin scalpel to detach (зд. снять с поверхности, отрезать) a small flake of substance to be analysed," explained Professor Maria Perla.
Mass spectrometry revealed the tablets contained an array (большое количество, целый набор) of ingredients.
The team found pine resin, which has antibacterial properties (свойства). Animal and vegetable fats were also detected (обнаружены), among them possibly olive oil which is known for its use in ancient perfumes and medicinal preparations.
They also found starch (крахмал), which is thought to be an ingredient in early Roman cosmetics. The team also discovered zinc compounds, which they think may have been the active ingredient in the tablets.
Given (зд. расшифровав) the composition of the medicine, the team believe it could have had an ophthalmic use.
Ancient writings
Finding ancient medicines is rare, especially those in as good condition as the Pozzino tablets.
Much of our understanding of the early medical world comes from writings from the time.
Gianna Giachi, from the Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Tuscany, said: "We compared our results with what the ancient authors wrote, including Theophrastus (from 371-286 BC), Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides (both from the 1st Century AD) and we highlighted (зд. установили, точно определили) a large correspondence (соответствие) with the ancient ingredients - especially for the use of zinc compounds.
"In addition, recent scientific literature documents the utilisation in Roman pharmacology of zinc compounds, especially for the preparation of powder (порошок) used for the treatment of eyes diseases."
She added that the study would help to shed more light on (пролить свет на) the ancient pharmaceutical world, which was surprisingly sophisticated (зд. значительно/высоко развит).
"The research highlights the care, even in ancient times, in the choice of the complex mixture of products in order to get the desired therapeutic effect and to help in the preparation and application (применение) of the same medicine," Dr Giachi said.
In an earlier study of the tablets, a US team carried out a genetic analysis of the plant material in the tablets.
Robert Fleischer, from the Smithsonian's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics, found plant extracts including carrot, radish and parsley, which suggested the tablets could have been used for gastrointestinal trouble (желудочно-кишечные расстройства).
Questions 1 How many ancient tablets were discovered? 2 Where were they found? 3 What are the main components of the tablets? 4 What diseases can it cure? 5 When was the shipwreck discovered?
It is really amazing that scientist found such ancient tablets. Cause they were under water and they haven't been destroyed. It is funny that 2 thousand years have passed but zink is still used in many modern medicines.
