Healthyvives Health Blog

copper was the first metal to be used in most parts of the world, followed by bronze. The later one is an alloy of copper with a low percentage of arsenic, lead or tin. The advantage of these metals is not necessarily that they can be melted and cast into a wide range of shapes and sizes of tools and weapons. Their working edges or point in the desired form made them more convenient to use. Some of tools made with copper were beveled-edge (bevel-an instrument for measuring angles.konmapak jantra) chisels (batali) in a range of sizes, toothed saws, adzes (bais) with sharp edges and heavy.-duty axes, in additional, copper is malleable (that may be beaten out by hammering). So it can be beaten into thin sheets or vessels (boat,ship, ferry, pot) of the desired shape. Metallurgy (datubidya) in the Paleolithic period came into its own when specialists produced objects for royal ancestor rituals as in china, or tools for unban workshops of the Mesopotamian temple and palace establishment or for mortuary cults as in Egypt. The infrastructure such as fuel, raw material and the day to day needs of metallurgists could be provided. For casting copper it melts at 1084*C- a higher temperature is required though for a short time, and the molten metal is quickly poured into a mould to set in the required shape. The ancient Egyptians are known to have used blow pipes and bellows to increase the oxygen supply in the kiln, thereafter the ore is melted by raising the temperature. Complex casting, with the use of closed mould and lost wax techniques, came into use in early dynastic Mesopotamia for temple statuary, for shaft holo axes used as weapons etc. beaten copper helmets were worn by warriors. Copper was acquired from the peninsula of Oman, and from several places in upland Anatolia and Iran. Egypt acquired copper from the peninsula of Sinai, a blue stone containing copper and aluminum phosphate. In south Asia excavated material of the period preceding the cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa has produced very little metal. A few crucible fragments, and some pieces of rods and bangles, are the main finds. There were metal fishing hooks and razors for everyday use. Weighing scale pans were made of metal, for accuracy. Metal weapon included arrows, daggers, and sword blades; as elsewhere, there was weaponry both in bronze/ copper and in stone. The advent of metallurgy itself has been far speedier in china tha in western Asia. Stone tools are first attested around 2.6 Ma, When H.Habilis in Eastern Africa used so-called pebble tools, choppers made out of round pebbles that had been split by simple strikes. This marks the beginning of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age; it end is taken to be the end of the last Ice age around 10000 years ago. The Paleolithic is sub divided into the lower Paleolithic, the middle Paleolithic and the upper Paleolithic. the period from 700,000-300000 years ago is also known as the acheulean, when H.Ergaster made large stone hand axes out of flint and quartzite, at first quite rough, later retouched by additional more subtle strikes at the sides of the flakes. After 350,000 the more refined so-called levallois technique was developed. It consisted of a series of consecutive strikes, by which scrapers, slices, needles and flattened needles were made. At this way stone tools of Paleolithic period was developed.