ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MAY/JUNE 2024 29 The Chalcolithic Age (5000- 3000 BCE)[1] is of great interest when studying archaeometallurgy. Stone workers, who for millions of years provided tools for survival and weapons of war, beautiful decoration in the form of jewelry, and mysterious figurines for the elite of society or religious rites and burial ceremonies, now worked side-by-side with small, but growing guilds of metalsmiths. These metal- smiths were slowly learning a developing technology: copper smithing. The Bronze Age (3000-1500 BCE)[1] followed and humankind slowly unlocked the secrets of locating mines, smelting copper ores, and alloying copper. Again, new and innovative technologies emerged. Throughout this journey into metalworking, humans around the globe made beautiful objects, one of which was the bronze cymbal. A percussion instrument of lustrous beauty, the cymbal possessed a magical sound, which evolved in the distant past, yet remains vibrant in today’s world of music. Humankind’s existence is interwoven with musical expressions (song, dance, and instruments), which date back to time immemorial. In all parts of the ancient world, the metalsmiths who produced cymbals gave the means for expressing joy in worship or celebration, startling and alarming one’s enemies in battle, and providing brilliance of sound when played in musical ensemble. CYMBAL MAKING: THE ART OF BRONZE METALWORKING, PART I The initial steps in the art of manufacturing cymbals are discussed from ancient times through the modern era, including alloying copper and tin, pouring the molten metal into buns, and processing the ingots. Joseph Paul Mitchell,* Avedis Zildjian Co. Inc., Norwell, Massachusetts *Member of ASM International and processing the ingots by hand- hammering or rolling a finished blank. COPPER SMELTING In the ancient past, metalworkers refined their skills and knowledge of smelting copper. For example, as described by Professor K.T.M. Hegde, Indian metalworkers designed small copper smelting furnaces, approximately 35 cm in height with 5390 cc capacity[2]. The furnaces consisted of clay-walled crucible shaped structures with slag-tapping and bellows[3]. The The cymbal is an example of the value ancient society placed on metal objects that had no function as tools for construction of homes, farming the land, or utensils for preparing food. Yet, despite the need for tin and copper for pragmatic use, metal- workers of civilizations past searched out or traded for the elements needed, exerted tremendous labor hours, and learned specialized processes to produce these objects. Among them was the bronze cymbal, which served an arguably higher purpose helping humans of all epochs commemorate life’s mirthful occasions and which today is used in almost all musical genres: accompanying religious ceremonies, bringing forth brilliant, shimmering sound in monasteries, temples, symphony orchestras, jazz ensembles, and music venues throughout the world. This article, Part I of II, examines the first steps in the art of cymbal making, which involve alloying copper and tin, pouring the molten metal into high-tin bronze ingots (buns), Cymbal players depicted on an Italian relief panel from the 15th century.
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