Metallurgy

The first metal to be used was copper. It was easy to find in the natural world and to work either with cold or with hot procedures. Only after some time people understood that some stones could be melted , producing a liquid material, that through a purification process could be solidified again. These stones were minerals, containing other metals and materials. Soon people learnt to extract minerals from mines and to work them to obtain metals, like silver, copper and tin. Consequently these became a valuable goods, important in the trade exchange. The artisans discovered how they could obtain a resistant ally in a single fusion: bronze, joining copper and tin.

To work on this operation it was necessary to have a crucible "crogiuolo", a terracotta container able to resist high temperature. 800° degrees should be reached at least to let the metals melt. Some small sheep leather bellows or some simple reeds were used to make the flames. Some nozzles "terracotta cones" were fixed to them, from which the air could come out in order to increase the flame. When the fusion was over the liquid bronze flew into the matrix of the object to obtain. The matrix was made of stone or terracotta reproducing the object in negative. They could be used many times and it could have one valve or two.
If they wanted to realize a dagger the blades should be sharpened and a handle should be created in bone or wood.
As regards Italy copper mines were to be found in Tuscany, in Trentino, in Monti Lessini, whereas tin came from Cornwall in England.
Some remains of the bronze process and a terracotta nozzle has been found in the village in Via Odiere. This discovery was important to understand that these procedures were carried on in the villages. Other discovered stabs and metal part of arrows had been probably produced in the village.