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DiscoveringancientmetaltechniquesblowbyblowTuesdaySeptember9201419ARTSCULTUREMETALLURGYServingyourcommunity872-2568OpenBreynatSt.FortSmithMonday-FridaySaturdaySunday900a.m.-800p.m.900a.m.-600p.m.1100a.m.-600p.m.WELCOMEBACKAURORACOLLEGESTUDENTS10BringinyourAurorastudentcardsforOFF10discountdoesnotapplytotobaccoapplianceselectronicsgiftcardsorKFC.ByJACKDANYLCHUKThePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentreechoedwiththedinofanancientworksiteSaturdayasmetallurgistswield-ingstoneshammeredawayatnuggetsofnativecopperhopingtoproducemorethannoise.AtleasttwohoursofdeterminedeffortisneededtoshapeasmalllumpofrawmetalintoanawlthesimplestofthemanycopperartifactsrecoveredfromarchaeologicalsitesacrossNorthAmericaMatthewPiketoldthetwodozenpeoplewhoattendedhislectureanddemonstration.AdoctoralcandidateatDukeUniversityPikeislookingatimplementsandadorn-mentsmadebyancientpeoplefromAlaskatoGreenlandtounderstandhowtheyusedironchippedfrommeteoritesandrareout-cropsofpurecopper.Bysubjectingtheartifactstonon-invasiveX-raytechnologyPikesaidresearcherscandetermineifcopperandironusedacrossan-cientNorthAmericacamefromlocalsourcesshipwrecksorthroughtradenetworksthatreachedasfarasChina.Nativecopperis99percentpureandcon-tainsthesameimpuritiessoitisnotyetpos-sibletopinpointthesourceofmetalinarti-factscreatedbyartisanslivingontheBrit-ishColumbiacoastwhotradedfortheirrawmaterialPikesaid.CopperusedinB.C.couldhavecomefromAlaskaorYukonbutitalsomighthavebeenacquiredthroughtradewithpeopleontheArcticcoastortheGreatLakesregionothersourcesofnativecopperPikesaid.MetallurgistsworkedcopperandironintheArcticforthousandsofyearsbeforecon-tactwithEuropeansandthedesiretoacquireandcontrolsourcesofthemetalsmayhaveinuencedmigrationpatternsandsettlementchoicesPikesaid.ThereisnoevidencethatnewworldculturesoutsideofMexicoandSouthAmericaknewanythingofsmeltingoretoobtaingoldsil-verandcopperormadeobjectsbycastingmoltenmetal.Arcticartisansusuallyham-meredawayatcoldnuggets.HeatingcoppermakesitmoremalleableandchangesitsstructuresothatitisnolongerbrittlebutfuelisntabundantintheArcticPikesaid.Iknowittakesabouttwohourstomakeasimpleawlwhichisthemostcommoncop-perartifactPikesaid.Icantimaginehowlongitwouldtaketohammeroutanobjectascomplexasaknifeoranulu.Apartfrompatiencethegreatestchal-lengetonewagemetallurgistspoundingawayinthePrinceofWalesauditoriumwaskeepingfingersclearofstoneham-mersandanvils.PhotosJackDanylchukBlitheBrownebringsahammerstonedownonanuggetofnativecopperduringademon-strationofancientmetallurgicaltechniques.ArchaeolgistMatthewPikepresentsamapthatshowsthesourcesofnativecopperandmeteoriteironscatteredacrosstheNorthatthePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCen-treonSaturday.