Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-04
HISTORY SHOWS
ANC|ENTS KNEW
ASPHALT VALUE
Egyptians Used 1t To Embalm
Mummies-Romanhc Rise
Of American Industry
CBY PROVOST HUBBARD,

Almost as far back as our knowl
edge of ancient civilization extends
authentic evidence exists that asphalt
which is now used in sixty per cent
of the street paving in American
cities was known by the human race
for its useful and valuable proper;ieJ.
1t has remained however, for America
the young republic. finally Lo develop
the asphalt industry and take the lead
among nations in the use of this ma
terial for paving purposes. 1t is due 10
American initiative and rcSourceful-
ness that the American made asphalt
Is tho purcst and the most economical
in the world because it is derived by
refinery processes from petroleum,
thus avoiding the cumbersome apd
costly handling Of large quantities OF
mineral matter involved in the use
Of rock asphalt, asphalt sands and
many other forms Of native asphalt.
The valuable constituent IN any as
phsltic material is btumcn.- BY tho
refining of petroleum American pro-
ducers obtain an asphalt OF which over
niuety-nine and onc-haf per cent Is
bitumen as compared with from . to
IL per cent in rock asphalt and a. low
as 500 per cent in refined lake asphalt.
The earliest recorded use of asphalt.
was by the Sums rians, a people in
llabitiug the ECphratcs Valley prior 10
tho asccndanCy of tho Babylonisns.
been unearthod by srchacolosists.
demonstrate that as carly a. JGSo s. L.
Asphalt was used by the Sumsrians a5
a ccrnentinS medium pr binder for at
taching small objects or ornament to
lscClpturos, osr-inGS and pottery. An
asphalt mastc east oxcavstcd st La
Easli near the mouth of the Euphratcf.
dates back to $3.50 Il. c.. and as carly
as $500 Is. G., the Egyptians utilized
liquid or melted. asphalt as pre-
t,.n gty,- far lao ~
| ping of nummicS. .ts watcr-p -proofmE
VALUE was known also At this date and
there Is good reason to believe that
the ark built by soah Was troatni
with asphalt within and without for
this purpose.
| As "A mortar for brick asphalt cvi-
IDENTITY was used in tn" construction OF
the Tower OF Babel for the Book OF
Genesis states that ''alimc had they
/ for mortar" H. translated as "bitumcn'
or asphalt in the Nulgato. This
same slime" Is also recorded as hav
ing been used to dsub tho basket
which served to conceal Moses in tho
bulrushcs when the Children OF Israel
were suffering under the bondage OF
Egypt about lj0p Il. -. II was Sabp-
pos-ssr. King OF Babylon. who about
500 II, g. 'ir4t used asphalt a. "a fiii'r
or mortar FOR brick paycmcnts. HIS
son. NobuchadnSzIgr. continued tho
PRACTICE as IN demonstrated by An in
srripuou on "A brick taken from ono "f
tho streets. Asphalt was used also In
the construction VI fUunda tons that
were subjected to water action in III.
ancient city Of Media.
In tho western Hemisphere this ma
tcrial appears to have hccn used IN
ancient times by tho Incas of Feru who
established "a magnificent system NJ
highways. Thus NC Ecc that asphalt
instead Of beng n product Of exclusive
ly modern use as may bc commonly
supposed. really iE n worid-oid ma
tcrai tho use Of which has been hand
cd down from tho oldest civilization.