4 Copper and Bronze
This webpage gives the basic outline for a weekly module. The full module with videos, readings, homework assignments, and other resources is available in Canvas by contacting the instructor.
Introduction
The discovery of the metals and the invention of metallurgy was both a technical and a social revolution. This module examines the economic and social dimensions of smelting and casting copper in the Bronze Age, and uses these lessons to predict the intensive sourcing and production needs of new photovoltaics. Understanding the relationships of trade, social class, and expertise is crucial to creating enduring materials for tomorrow’s world.
Module Objectives
Students will:
- identify the properties of copper and its alloys
- identify the properties of photovoltaics
- explore the uses and applications of copper, both historically and in modern times
- examine the relationship of trade routes to materials innovation
- explore the importance of codifying expertise in materials engineering
Lecture Development Resources
Day 1
Material science professor presents background on Copper and Bronze: Properties of copper and bronze, natural abundance structure and location, history, native vs smelted, arsenic as an impurity, medical implications. Show a video demonstration on smelting bronze.
Day 2
Guest humanities/archaeology/history/classics professor presents Copper and Bronze: Trading Materials Resources and Knowledge, a lecture that explores the invention and spread of metallurgy and the growth of new trade routes for both materials but also early materials science expertise.
Day 3
We learned in Module 2 (Clay) that things depend upon other things and people. In this flipped classroom, we explore some of the many materials and components involved in making photovoltaics, map the trade routes used to source these materials, and make ourselves aware of some of the global trade issues involved in sourcing these materials. As we know from the study of The Bronze Age, the availability of materials impacts their use and acceptance of certain materials.
