Martinón-Torres Marcos
UCL Institute of Archaeology, London, UK.
Ambix. 2011 Nov;58(3):215-37. doi: 10.1179/174582311X13129418299063.
The number of researchers and publications devoted to the history of alchemy has seen exponential growth and diversification in recent decades, to such an extent that some scholars speak of a "New Historiography of Alchemy". On the occasion of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry, this paper outlines some highlights of the literature since 1990, with a view to identify current trends but also challenges for the future. Some of the most important changes identified are a marked awareness of the risks of presentism, a shift from ambitious histories to contextualised microhistories, a heightened recognition of the internal diversity of historical alchemy, and a greater emphasis on its practical dimensions and its role in the Scientific Revolution. Among the challenges, the paper underscores the potential risks of an excessive historiographical fragmentation, the need for further interdisciplinary training and cooperation, and the responsibilities of alchemy historians towards students and the general public alike.
近几十年来，致力于炼金术历史研究的学者数量和相关出版物呈指数级增长且日益多样化，以至于一些学者提到了“炼金术新史学”。值此炼金术与化学史学会成立七十五周年之际，本文概述了自1990年以来文献中的一些亮点，旨在识别当前的趋势以及未来面临的挑战。已确定的一些最重要的变化包括：对以今度古风险的显著认识、从宏大历史向情境化微观历史的转变、对历史上炼金术内部多样性的更高认识，以及对其实践层面及其在科学革命中作用的更多强调。在挑战方面，本文强调了史学过度碎片化的潜在风险、进一步跨学科培训与合作的必要性，以及炼金术历史学家对学生和普通大众的责任。
