Abstract
This conference has performed one historic function. Professor Westbrook took us well towards the earliest civilized use of materials with his account of the Babylonian merchant Nanni’s complaint, only recently deciphered, about the harmful effects of residuals in metal that he had been sold. Since that date 4000 years ago, knowledge has not only grown, but has become increasingly particularized along separate channels which, as a consequence of our modern specialization, have ceased to communicate with each other. The unrestrictive, thoughtful nature of the conference theme has had the effect that these specialized channels have been brought into communication again.