[TheForge] the Celts and metal working

[terry l. ridder]

hello

been watching documentaries and history videos during the long winter
days. The latest documentaries were on The Celts. Discoveries in Europe
and in England bring to light that The Celts were master craftsman,
goldsmiths, silversmiths & and coppersmiths. The gold objects and silver
are very ornate and show a level of craftmanship that was thought not to
appear until hundreds of years later. The huge copper caldrons are
something to see and wonder at the construction. Recent digs on the
Scottish Coast and in the Shetland Islands show that the
Norse/Scandnavians were not just rampaging Vikings. They also had a high
level of artistic metalworking.

I have had several long discussions with others concerning the skills
the Celts and Norse must have had.
They first had to have the raw metals, gold, silver, copper, iron. 
They would need to construct the tools that they would use for
goldsmithing, silversmithing and coppersmith. New research on the recent
finds shows that the engraving tools were very developed. the historians
would very much like to find the tools used by the celt goldsmiths and
silversmiths. To learn more about the people and their knowledge.

I was watching a BBC program which asked a silversmith to recreate a
silver bowl made for Queen Victoria in the later 1800's using only the
tools of Victorian time. The lady was amazing and amazed at how the
skill of the craftman showed when using the tools of the time. You did
not waste the silver or the gold.

I have had several discussions with historians about the lack of an
industrial society in the North America. North America does not have
many hisorical sites dating from the middle ages. Some historians
believe that many areas were buried when the Supervolcano which created
the Yellowstone Caldera erupted. the Great Lakes were much larger in the
past.

Anyway it has been educational. the age old question was asked by one
historian in a discussion group. "Who taught the craftman? How were they
taught?"
May never know the answers to those questions.

I am waiting for the spring so I can get outside and enjoy life.




-- 
terry l. ridder ><>