Casting
Mould, crucible, forced air, pour, break out, cut, file, hammer. Most of the sequence leaves debris that survives better than the objects themselves.
4 entries · Moulds, crucible, furnace and finishing.
Entries in this section
Listed in reading order
Moulds
Stone, clay and lost wax, each leaving a different signature on the object.
Crucible and furnace
Getting to temperature with charcoal and forced air, and holding it long enough.
Jets, flash and finishing
Most of the work happens after the metal is solid.
Work-hardening an edge
Hammered cold, the edge gets harder — and eventually cracks.
How this section is written
Record and interpretation are kept apart
Every entry states what was found and what it is taken to mean as two separate things. Where the dating or the reading is contested, the entry says so rather than choosing for you.
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