began working metal in the third millennium BC
d in the 1980’s, just 30 years ago.
ls technology
pottery appears
pper metallurgy is ined for ornamentation
nze is used for weapons
ites develop crude iron
tion of steel when iron
bined properly
production begins
ter beginning to be
t
steel, the first crucible
ent India
es Lewton-Brain
op foldforming.
“While blacksmiths and metal fabricators
definitely use all these techniques, they’re
not being put together in quite this way.
So according to the British Museum and
other places, this is new. And this is odd
because it’s pretty simple equipment.
I think it has something to do with the fact
that sheet metal is a new material. Up until
about 150-180 years ago, you didn’t have
sheet metal to waste and it was just too
much flippin’ work to make it for you to
muck around with it. So really I think it’s
that sheet metal as a disposable to take
risks with is new, and that’s why it hadn’t
been around much before.”
- Charles Lewton-Brain
(quote at 6:43)