A LEAP INTO THE BEGINNING OF THE METAL AGE: RECRYSTALLIZATION AND CARBURIZING

Abstract

Although the great importance covered by the heat treatment and the thermo-mechanical process in the evolution of the history of metallurgy, the role of these processes has not been correctly considered even by some famous and recognized archeo-metallurgists. Moreover, it is difficult to agree with the prevalent opinion that the beginning of the metallurgical activity corresponds with the birth of the extractive processes which permit to obtain the metals starting from their ores. The most reliable hypothesis supposes that the first metallurgical activity is to be found the plastic working and heat treatment of the metals found in nature under their reduced form and this statement seems to be strongly confirmed by the fact that the first objects are constituted by gold, silver and copper, which are the metals which can be frequently found in the reduced form.