The Origins of Metalworking

By Eddie Daughton

The first thing we need to understand is how the Ore forms (and why!)

How far back in Time do we need to go to understand Metal Working?

2,000 years?

10,000 years?

50,000 years?

How about 150 Million Years?



Hydrothermal Deposition of Metallic Ores

In certain types of volcanism (Notably 'Pluton' or 'Hot Spot' volcanism), under certain conditions, there may not be the dramatic display that we usually associate with volcanic eruption.

What will happen in this case is that the volcanically superheated steam and gas will make its way to the surface following, and in some cases creating, cracks in the rocky mantle or overburden (in the case of Great Orme a fossil reef).

This steam can be rich in dissolved metals (in this case Copper) and the metals are deposited on the walls of the cracks as the steam passes through them.

In the case of Limestone rock this process softens the rock (known as Dolomiteisation) as well as changes the metal ore to its carbonate and sulphide form ( ie Malachite and Azurite amongst others).

The Pluton responsible for the Great Orme deposits made its way out under the Irish Sea (or rather the Irish Sea made its way over it!) and eventually cooled after depositing Copper (amongst other minerals) at Bradda Head in the Isle of Man.



How do we develop metalworking technologies?

Now to come up the years a little bit - not too far, though, or we might miss something important!

Creatures leave the sea, and turn into Dinosaurs, which become extinct to be replaced by mammals.

Tropical seas rise and fall Somewhere in the last 4 million years a certain fish eating ape finds its way along the coasts, learning as it goes. . .

In the last 2 million years Glaciers come and go, first we are an island, then a peninsula, then an island, sometimes there are people in Britain and most times not. Most of the time the environment pressurises tool use and adaptability. . .

And then the Ice Age Ends…



Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age): 8,500BC- 4000BC

(Approx. the last 500 years of this is “Transitional”)

Interesting Site from the period: Star Carr

Conventionally seen as from the end of the last Ice Age around 8,500BC.

The timing of the end of the last Ice Age is a little problematic, as the Ice Age actually ended in approx 12,500 BC, with serious glacial recession allowing oak trees as far north as the Scots borders. However, there was a 're-freeze' (now known as the Lomond Glaciation, or Younger Dryas) that lasted until approx 8,500 and resulted in glaciers reappearing as far south as Loch Lomond to the north of Glasgow.

Further use of stone tools; the use of bows for hunting; microliths (arrowheads).

Nomadic hunter-gatherer society but now increasingly less range.

Age of Earliest Farming.

Climate is warming, sea levels are therefore rising leading to the breaking of the land bridge between Britain and Ireland in approx. 7,000 BC, and the opening of the Dover Strait around 5500BC.



Trade

Artefacts and resources start to move around in this period. Whereas in the Palaeolithic it seems to have been 'special objects' that move over great distances now it starts to become other resources.

Late in the period we start to see some evidence of shallow flint mining/trading, and possible territoriality (the Stonehenge 'Cricket stumps')



Neolithic (New Stone Age): 4,500BC – 2,200BC

The Sweet Track - an ancient trade route?

In 3,807BC in Somerset an elevated trackway was constructed from what is now Shapwick (beside the Polden ridge, and on a known trade route) to Westhay (an island, or Burtle) in the marsh of the Somerset levels.

This trackway was only in use (or at least only in repair) for approx 10 years, however at some point during its life someone deposited a Jadeite axehead beside the trackway.

This axehead has now been sourced to one of two mountains, one in present day Switzerland and the other in Italy. Both of these places seem to be associated with massive ritual activity - they can in fact can be seen as 'Sacred Mountains'.

Whatever its source this axe head remains one of the finest signs of trans-european trading at an early date in British archaeology.

By this time we have learned that materials can have their properties modified. Polishing a flint or stone axe, for example, makes it more durable in use, though the jury is still out as to whether the time spent polishing is repaid by the extra use available (or, of course, maybe it's the difference between Black + Decker and Bosch; ie none at all, it's all about appearances).

The artefacts involved in this modification seem to have accrued 'power', whether by long use or association. Witness the use of a sarsen, much used as a 'polishing stone', in the structure of West Kennet.

On to Part Two. . .