Did they just throw rocks into a fire and watched what happened?
Would I just walk through the woods and find rocks that kida looked like they had iron in them?
2007-03-06 02:32:00 · 4 answers · asked by thisguy 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
The blacksmiths just did the metalwork. Finding the actual metal ore was left up to others.
2007-03-06 02:54:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Metals such as iron, copper and tin have been mined since prehistoric times.
The first ore was probably discovered by accident: someone built a fire close to rocks which became hot and yielded the metal.
Porbably also the first people to mine metals also experimented in smelting and working them but gradually there was more specialisation.
Thus you had the division into miners, smelters and smiths.
Evidence has been found that there was a trade in metals between Britain and Europe in pre-Roman times: weapons and tools found in Britain were traced to mines in Europe and vv.
2007-03-06 11:33:59 · answer #2 · answered by squeaky guinea pig 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Veins of iron are visible within layers of rock so they were able to mine for it.
2007-03-06 10:54:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They could taste irony rocks, and see the rust colour I suppose.
2007-03-06 10:34:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋