On Tuesday, Professor Scott took us on a field trip to visit Dr. Arik Greenberg’s metal studio. Dr. Greenberg is a lecturer of Greco-Roman history and religion and has been involved with the Legion Six Historical Foundation, Inc. and the development of the Museum of the Ancient Roman Soldier.
Dr. Greenberg first gave us a presentation on Greco-Roman armor and weaponry.
We dressed Tom McClintock up as a soldier with replica armor, a shield, and a sword.
Dr. Greenberg then gave us a demonstration on the manufacturing of ancient copper helmets and iron swords, showing us different blacksmith forging techniques.
We then had the opportunity to work our own copper sheets into a bowls, which involved annealing and hammering. Lesley Day (left image) cools the metal she is working after annealing. Betsy Burr and Lesley (central image) hammer their copper sheets into shape. And Tom (right image) anneals his copper sheet.
The field trip was part of the course we are taking this quarter on the Technology and Deterioration of Metals (CAEM 263). Not only was our visit to Dr. Greenberg’s metal studio fun, but seeing how metals are worked, and trying our hand at making copper bowls, will help us better understand how the copper alloy objects we’re examining this quarter (and treating next quarter) were made.
I’ll end this post with the words of MC Hammer, because for us in the metal’s studio, it was definitely “Hammer Time”.
William Shelley (’16)
UCLA/Getty Conservation Program 