EMF - Previous Meetings

Middle range theory and metallography

While the use of metallography in understanding early metalworking technology is well-established, the technique appears to have reached a `conceptual plateau' in the last few decades. The microstructure of early metals has relied too heavily on a body of knowledge developed for an understanding of modern metals and the needs of modern industries.

This paper will explore ways in which the discipline can be advanced by developing a `middle range theory' which links the particular microstructures of early metal artefacts to the actual techniques used to fabricate them. In many cases a `middle range theory' can be built up through experimental `archaeo-metallurgy'.

A programme of experiment and analysis has been used to develop a better understanding of early copper alloy artefacts which contain remnant coring and annealed grains. Such work is necessary because ancient smithing techniques were on occasion significantly different to those used in the modern world. This very difference, however, makes it difficult to imagine all of the possible smithing techniques which may have been used. While exploring a wide range of possibilities through planned experiments, we should not ignore the information we can extract from accidents and `failures'.