Out of the Fiery Furnace - Episode 1 - From Stone to Bronze

From the Stone Age to the era of the silicon chip — metals and minerals have marked the milestones of our civilization. OUT OF THE FIERY FURNACE traces the story of civilization through the exploitation of metals, minerals and energy resources. Renowned radio and BBC television commentator Michael Charlton hosts seven, one-hour programs filmed in more than 50 different parts of the world. This very unusual public television series combines the disciplines of history, science, archeology and economics in order to explore the relationship between technology and society.

How did human beings first come to recognize metals buried in rocks? Michael Charlton visits an archaeological dig at a Stone Age settlement to uncover the ways in which our early ancestors extracted metal from rock. This episode visits several dramatic locations, including India and the Sinai Desert to follow remarkable experiments using the smelting techniques of the ancient civilizations. You'll also travel to Thailand to find a possible answer to a great mystery: how did bronze come to be invented in the Middle East where there are no deposits of a necessary element — tin? (60 minutes)

VHS Cover: http://i.imgur.com/RuPFqrt

Disclaimer: This video series, produced in 1986 by Opus Films is shown here for Educational Purposes. It includes footage of cultures in India, China, Near East, etc. and ancient methods of manufacturing metals. It is hoped that this information is useful for archival and educational purposes to viewers all across the world. The video is provided here under the Fair Use policy.

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