FOH 8

1. FOH 8 The Rise of Metallurgy and its Impact

2. “Ages” related to materials • Stone Age • Copper Age • Bronze Age • Iron Age

3. What is metallurgy?

4. metallurgy = the science and technology of extracting metal from mineral ore and shaping it for human use

5. Other key terms? ingot? ore? slag? smelt (v.)? alloy?

6. Visualizing the process

7. Visualizing the process • Locate metals in sufficient quantity • Mine ores • Smelt ore to separate metal from slag • Shape the metal into something useful

8. What differences has metallurgy made in the lives of human beings? Positive consequences?

9. Positive consequencesof metallurgy: • Standard of living generally improves • Metal becomes stronger and this makes labor more efficient • Better quality tools and weapons  more trade and more efficient labor or defense • Creation of currency systems encourages trade by making it possible to sell items without finding a person who is selling what you want in exchange • Government backed currency systems increases trust in the value of metals used • New building technologies and machinery to do human labor • Easier to clear forests, fields, etc. for agriculture

10. Positive consequencesof metallurgy: • Created stronger, more useful tools  more efficient and productive labor, including clearing forests, building shelters, etc.  better standard of living and in some cases, population growth and changes in the ways people lived in and around cities • Use of precious metals in trade allowed for people to get other things without finding someone who wants what you have to trade • Governments guarantee the value of currency, increases people’s confidence in it and willingness to use money in trade  expanded trade routes • New sources of wealth and job creation • Easier access to iron made common people a credible threat to authoritarian governments, leading to the development of democracy

11. Positive consequencesof metallurgy: • Better tools  more efficient labor, more productive labor, easier to cultivate land (with plows, etc.) • Expanded trade by offering new products and esp. when standardized currency systems are created • Prompted more technological evolution, improving the standard of living for many • Better housing • Better self-defense through better weapons  including allowing the spread of democracy • As trade routes for specific metals spread, so did ideas and goods • Population growth

12. Negative consequencesof metallurgy: • Weapons became deadlier and wars had worse impact on population • New forms of wealth exacerbated conflict between people • Mining was highly dangerous and unpleasant, and this encouraged exploitation of people who were poor, prisoners, slaves by others • Deforestation impacts animal habitats, as well as climate, erosion, crop failure • More efficient machinery may also be more harmful to the environment

13. Negative consequencesof metallurgy: • Need for charcoal to smelt mineral ore led to deforestation  climate change, erosion  reduced agricultural output and quality of crops • Mining was dangerous, hard work  exploitation of poor people, criminals, slaves • New metals created both more destructive weapons and new reasons for people to fight • Greater disparity between rich and poor due to access to different metals (esp. during Bronze and Copper Ages)

14. Negative consequencesof metallurgy: • new forms of wealth  more wars and conflicts • Better weapons  more destructive wars • Better tools and need for charcoal  Deforestation  climate changes and lack of resources • Mining was brutal, dangerous work for slaves, prisoners and poor people