Metal Production and Design

Sponsoring Organization(s)

AVISTA: The Association Villard de Honnecourt for the Interdisciplinary Study of Medieval Technology, Science, and Art

Organizer Name

Steven A. Walton

Organizer Affiliation

Michigan Technological Univ.

Presider Name

Carol Neuman de Vegvar

Presider Affiliation

Ohio Wesleyan Univ.

Paper Title 1

I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff: Observations on Air Delivery in Bloomery Air Furnaces

Presenter 1 Name

Darrell Markewitz

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Wareham Forge

Paper Title 2

Early Medieval Metalwork: "T’ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it"

Presenter 2 Name

Susan Youngs

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Independent Scholar

Paper Title 3

Making and Applying Gold Leaf in Early Modern Spain

Presenter 3 Name

Ricardo Córdoba

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Univ. de Córdoba

Start Date

9-5-2013 1:30 PM

Session Location

Fetzer 1045

Description

Metals were used across all walks of medieval society and yet can often be overlooked for the products they made rather than the material itself. The goal of this session is to explore the production, design and methods of working with medieval precious and mundane metals such as iron and gold, in order to gain a better appreciation of the challenges and possibilities of these materials. Indirectly, the session will also explore the skills and status of the craftsmen (blacksmiths, goldsmiths, and jewelers) based upon archaeological investigations and experimental recreations of these important medieval technologies.

Steven A. Walton