12-26-2011, 03:53 AM
Hi Steve,
There is reconstructed blacksmith shop at Augusta Raurica wich should fit in well with your story line. It depicts a single smith and his apprentice. As a Roman blacksmith, I have reconstructed a mobile smithy on basis of original finds. A Roman blacksmith would have at least two anvils, a larger block one and a separte T stake anvil with pointed ends. A hoard find from Switserland containing the inventory of a smithy attest to this. Much later on these were combined to form the horned anvil as we know it today. Many of the objects are so familiar a modern day blacksmith will immediatly recognise them. A blacksmith would always have at least one helper to man the bellows and to assist in holding or hitting hot iron. An extra pair of hands makes all the difference in effecient production. Blacksmithing would/could also be a specialised craft. Some tombstones specifictly show locks or tools or weapons.
I am presently about to embark on a project recreating typical Roman slave shackles, having found an excellent study on types. Not up to making the locks, yet, though. Deceptively simple, but still trying to figure out how they were made. The Romans used different iron then we do today, making forge welding a lot easier, it would appear. Compared to our standards, the metal is pretty soft.
For a storyline, best not go overboard on production figures. Personaly, I find some of the stuff in Iron for the Eagles very hard to believe, as well as a good few of the "production diagrams". A blacksmith will, for instance, waste as little iron as possible cutting things away. His production methode will revolve around getting the most out of the stock available and to minimise scrap.
On your question of stocking a legion, the amounts involved are pretty staggering! There was however a good amount of reuse, battlefield being swept whenever time and situation allowed to recover reusable or repairable items. My mobile smithy is based on that idea, a small portable shop good for repairing things as the army moves about. I do believe the main army production would have been industrialised, with specialised shops turning out large quantities on contract, these being then assembled in warehouses and redistibuted. The Romans ran a pretty efficient show, one would expect that to extend to arms and armour production.
Have fun with your project!
There is reconstructed blacksmith shop at Augusta Raurica wich should fit in well with your story line. It depicts a single smith and his apprentice. As a Roman blacksmith, I have reconstructed a mobile smithy on basis of original finds. A Roman blacksmith would have at least two anvils, a larger block one and a separte T stake anvil with pointed ends. A hoard find from Switserland containing the inventory of a smithy attest to this. Much later on these were combined to form the horned anvil as we know it today. Many of the objects are so familiar a modern day blacksmith will immediatly recognise them. A blacksmith would always have at least one helper to man the bellows and to assist in holding or hitting hot iron. An extra pair of hands makes all the difference in effecient production. Blacksmithing would/could also be a specialised craft. Some tombstones specifictly show locks or tools or weapons.
I am presently about to embark on a project recreating typical Roman slave shackles, having found an excellent study on types. Not up to making the locks, yet, though. Deceptively simple, but still trying to figure out how they were made. The Romans used different iron then we do today, making forge welding a lot easier, it would appear. Compared to our standards, the metal is pretty soft.
For a storyline, best not go overboard on production figures. Personaly, I find some of the stuff in Iron for the Eagles very hard to believe, as well as a good few of the "production diagrams". A blacksmith will, for instance, waste as little iron as possible cutting things away. His production methode will revolve around getting the most out of the stock available and to minimise scrap.
On your question of stocking a legion, the amounts involved are pretty staggering! There was however a good amount of reuse, battlefield being swept whenever time and situation allowed to recover reusable or repairable items. My mobile smithy is based on that idea, a small portable shop good for repairing things as the army moves about. I do believe the main army production would have been industrialised, with specialised shops turning out large quantities on contract, these being then assembled in warehouses and redistibuted. The Romans ran a pretty efficient show, one would expect that to extend to arms and armour production.
Have fun with your project!
