Brass / Bronze

[Matthew Amt]

I also do not care for the characterization that you deemed necessary to explain to me the origin of the Roman civilzation by attempting to enlighten me that the Romans were not dropped onto the seven hills. I was born in Italy and I can assure you that I do not need an anthropology lesson. All people have lived in a particular place in time for generations. However, in historical contexts we do give cultures and civilazation finite times. The birth of Rome 753 BC the fall of rome 5th centruy AD.

Sorry, no offense intended! Sure, we like to apply nice labels and dates, and we like to put things in neat boxes. I just got the impression that you were seeing the Roman culture as kind of set apart from its historical context--other people have thought that way before. Mea culpa.

Again, I never said that the Romans or ancients made alloys in the way that I described. I was suggesting an efficient way that such a mixture could be obtained. Unless there is someone out there with a time machine to prove otherwise, most reasonable applications (such as I described) are possible.

Fair enough. I think there are some references to metallurgy in Roman literature that would probably be a big help, here, but unfortunately I don't know what they are offhand. Pliny is probably a good place to start for things like that, at a guess.

Vale,

Matthew