1910–1911
Britannica 11th
Encyclopaedia Britannica · 11th edition
ASPHALT, or ASPHALTUM. The solid or semi-solid kinds of bitumen (q.v.) were termed &ff<t>a\TO$ by the Greeks; and by some ancient classical writers the name of pissasphaltum (iri<r<ra, pitch) was also sometimes employed. The asphalt of the Dead Sea (known as Locus Asphallites) received considerable notice from early travellers, and Diodorus the historian states that the inhabitants of the surrounding parts were accustomed to collect it for use in Egypt for embalming. In common with other forms of bitumen, asphalt i…
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- Vol. 2, pp. 768-768