These copper blocks have just solidified and have different shapes, but the temperature is still very high, and the color is not the purple-red of pure copper, but more reddish.
Xu Chen is familiar with the composition of various ores. Although the specific composition of the ore cannot be detected at the moment, whether it is chalcocite, bornite, chalcopyrite or other types of copper ores, it is impossible to completely
Instead of copper compounds, they are mixed with silver, zinc, cadmium, nickel, iron and other associated minerals, and some are even mixed with gold.
Most of these metal impurities will be filtered out in the form of slag, but under continuous burning at a high temperature of nearly a thousand degrees, some of them will still be mixed into the copper liquid and flow out together. Especially zinc, the melting point is only over 400 degrees.
It is not much higher than lead and tin, and can be melted on an ordinary stove. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to smelt copper that is too pure using this simple method.
In fact, for Xu Chen, he does not need too pure copper. It is best to contain some tin and lead. The copper obtained in this way may be more useful.
But unfortunately, the copper blocks obtained now do not look like they contain these two metals.
"Bang bang bang..."
Xu Chen used a small wooden stick to clamp a hot copper block onto the stone slab, and lightly hit it with a stone. The copper block slowly expanded into a pitted copper piece, exuding a purple-red metallic luster under the strong sunlight.
.
A lot of copper pieces that fell into the sand were dug out, weighing two or three kilograms in total. Xu Chen packed them all in a pottery bowl.
About ten minutes have passed.
Four kiln workers are still busy dealing with the remaining kiln fire.
Xu Chen estimated that the copper inside the mold should have completely solidified, so he gently broke it with a wooden stick and opened the mold, revealing the purple-red copper inside.
These bronze wares are not big, and the molds are very simple. They include two knives, a small sword, and three small hammers of different sizes. The largest one is a square copper plate with a side length of ten centimeters and a thickness of about two centimeters.
This copper plate alone uses up almost half of the smelted copper.
After all the bronzes were knocked out of the molds, they used clay pots to scoop up water from the puddles and poured them over. The steam evaporated, attracting the four kiln workers. As they watched
When I saw some strange purple-red metal objects in front of my eyes, I suddenly seemed to have seen the most incredible thing in the world, and I couldn't help but exclaimed again.
It was clear that the heat wave hit the red-hot water just now, but in the blink of an eye it all turned into a strange solid.
After pouring water several times, Xu Chen took the bronze utensils to the puddle and washed them clean when they were no longer hot to the touch.
"Take it, call it a day and go home!"
Xu Chen's joy did not fade away, and he was still smiling from ear to ear. He put some scattered copper blocks and a few small objects into the backpack, then pointed to the most important copper plate and asked a kiln worker to hold it for him.
At first, the savage didn't care, but when he caught it in his hand, he couldn't help but let out an exclamation of surprise.
"Moxy Gaga?"
The other three kiln workers hurriedly gathered around and asked nervously.
"Chongga!"
The kiln worker held the heavy copper plate in his hands, with an incredible look on his face.
"Try it!"
Someone grabbed it and took it in his hand, with a look of horror on his face.
This big thing is actually very heavy. Although the ore at the beginning is also very heavy, it is completely incomparable to this copper plate.
Of course, they have also seen things with higher density, such as gold. A small amount of gold will appear in the annual gatherings and transactions of the six tribes. However, most of the gold nuggets in nature are very small. Even a large piece about the size of a thumb only weighs half a catty.
They weigh about a kilogram, and they are natural things, so everyone is not surprised by them.
The copper plate in front of him was different. It was made by several kiln workers themselves. He was naturally very surprised when he saw it being fired from a pile of messy stones.
This palm-sized copper plate weighs about five kilograms.
The contrast between weight and volume is obviously beyond the psychological range of a group of savages.
So on the way a group of people went back, four kiln workers took turns grabbing it in their hands. After returning home, they stood next to each other in the room to show off to all the men and women the results of their hard work in the kiln for half a month.
Although Muba and others were very curious about these heavy and strange things that exuded a purple-red metallic luster, they were also a little bit puzzled that a few grown men had worked so hard for so long to come up with such a small amount of things.
The most important thing is that Xu Chen explained that this thing called copper is of no use at the moment, and is almost the same as the equally heavy gold returned with pottery.
Why do you get useless things?
So after a group of men, women, old and young gathered around to watch and make noise, they all dispersed and went to work on their own.
The four kiln workers who couldn't show off were also very frustrated. They put the copper plates in Xu Chen's room and went to do other things with their heads hanging down.
This is the most frustrating and meaningless thing they have done since they became kiln workers.
Not to mention the time-consuming and labor-intensive results, it turned out to be of no use.
Fortunately, it was what Xu Chen wanted. If they burned this thing by themselves, they would probably be scolded by their mother-in-law.
Faced with the changes in the mood of his tribe, Xu Chen didn't take it seriously.
Primitive people did not understand the significance of metal smelting to the progress of human civilization.
Because right now they are still at the stage of worrying about the simplest food, including the houses they already have, linen, pottery, wells, etc. In fact, they are not necessities. It is just because Xu Chen needs them, so they are all the same.
Appear.
In fact, what Xu Chen really made that had the greatest impact on the primitive tribes was the bows and arrows and fishing nets that he paid the least attention to.
These two things have greatly changed the living conditions of the entire tribe and greatly enriched the source and quantity of food.
In fact, in the long history of human development, metals did not appear as production tools for a long time after their emergence, but existed in the form of ritual vessels.
The social structure represented by ritual vessels is the emergence of classes, which means that the status of human beings in social production and life is no longer equal.
We are still in the matrilineal clan stage of the Paleolithic Age. Primitive humans have equal status. A tribe is a family that loves each other. There is no hierarchy or inferiority in status. Therefore, it is impossible to produce ritual vessels that represent different statuses.
The only thing in the tribe that indicates different identities is the bird feathers on women's heads.
But this does not mean power, only age and seniority.
Of course, it does not mean that there is nothing that represents power. There is still something very special, and that is the scepter in the hands of the patriarch and the shaman.
But the source of the power of the scepter is not human beings, but God. It represents the power and wisdom of God and has nothing to do with power.
Therefore, even if the smelted copper is very exquisite, very special, and very incredible, for the current primitive tribes, this kind of exquisiteness and specialness is just good-looking and decorative. Anyone can own it, and it will not be because of its rarity.
The value creates the possibility of being superior to others, and there will be no older people who want to occupy it and use it as their own personal belongings to demonstrate and enhance their identity and status.
The gold, turquoise, amber and other rare gems and a large amount of copper ore that were exchanged earlier were just a matter of curiosity and curiosity to Mu Ba and all the tribesmen. Now he has burned the copper ore into these strange copper nuggets.
, it does not improve Xu Chen's power at all. At most, he uses his own methods to create a more magical and meaningless decoration.
Seven or eight pieces of brand new copperware and a bowl of oddly shaped and broken copper pieces were placed on the brick desk in the bedroom.
There is a piece of suede underneath.
These crudely cast bronze vessels exude a charming purple-red metallic sheen.
Two half-foot-long knives, a one-foot-long small sword, and three hammers of different sizes. Most of these small items only weigh half a catty. The heaviest one is the square copper plate.
Picking it up and putting it down, it made a dull sound when it landed on the table.
Xu Chen picked up several things and looked at them carefully over and over. After using a wooden ruler to make simple gestures and measurements, he then went out with a stone ax and chopped back a few pieces of wood. He sat under the eaves at the door and began to gnaw and gnaw busily.
Half a day passed by in a flash, and when the sun began to set in the west, Xu Chen already had several decent-looking things in front of him.
Two hafted bronze knives, one hafted bronze sword, and three hafted bronze hammers.
After installing the handle of the knife and hammer, Xu Chen found a flat and fine stone, took it to the well and began to water and polish it.
Copper was soft and not suitable for making knives, but this was the first time he had smelted copper, and he really didn't know what to make of it.
Hot pot is a good thing, but it is obviously not suitable at the moment. At the stage where I can barely stay hungry by eating vegetables and whole grain porridge every day, I can't afford such a crazy level of enjoyment.
Besides, without various seasonings such as oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, onion, ginger, garlic and pepper, he didn't think he could make any kind of delicious food. It might not be as satisfying as chicken stewed with mushrooms.