The earliest use of metal for making tools and household goods was about 4800 BCE when people living in what is now Pakistan began making and using copper artifacts. While copper is easy to work with, it is also rather soft. In the late 4th millennium BCE people began making bronze (an alloy of copper and tin and arsenic) which resulted in harder, more durable artifacts. With the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age (about 1200 BCE), bronze artifacts did not vanish, but continued to be made and used.
In the Roman city of Pompeii, which was covered by 20 feet of ash and rock when Mount Vesuvius erupted on August 24, 79 CE, archaeologists have uncovered numerous bronze artifacts. The Oregon Museum of Science and Technology (OMSI) in Portland had a special exhibit on Pompeii which included more than 200 items on loan from the Naples National Archaeological Museum. Shown below are some of the bronze artifacts which were on display in this exhibit.
According to the Museum display:
“Romans recorded their business transactions and historical events with ink on papyrus scrolls. Ink was made by using juices, saps, and pigments mixed with liquids.”
According to the Museum display:
“Roman homes contained few pieces of furniture, but in wealthy homes, most were exquisite. This bronze footrest is intricately carved with spirals and leaves.”
In his book Roman Empire, Nigel Rodgers writes:
“Roman furniture was rather sparse but also surprisingly elegant and comfortable. It certainly surpassed anything Western Europe was to know again for the next thousand years.”
More Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome: Tools from Pompeii (Photo Diary)
Ancient Rome: Paintings and Mosaics in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Glass Vessels from Pompeii (Photo Diary)
Ancient Rome: Sculpture in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Erotic Images in Pompeii (Photo Diary)
Ancient Rome: Jewelry (Photo Diary)
Ancient Rome: Pompeii's Amphitheater
Ancient Rome: The Houses of Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Death in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Food in Pompeii