How to make a Celtic Torc | The Snettisham Great Torc | Curator’s Corner S1 Ep7

Being Curator of the European Iron Age at the British Museum is a tough job, especially when you’re honing your blacksmithing skills. Julia Farley explains the processes behind making a Celtic torc (or big metal neck ring), and reveals how one of the most beautiful aspects of these objects might not be what you expect…
Curator’s Corner is the British Museum’s first KZbin series, and was selected from a number of potential series proposed by the Museum in December 2015: www.youtube.com/watch?v=luXVd
New episodes of Curator's Corner come out every month.

[@britishmuseum]

Now you know how to make a torc, you might be wondering how you would actually wear it? Never fear, Julia has that topic covered too: blog.britishmuseum.org/how-do-you-put-on-a-torc/

[@SummerYeti]

The British Museum, I have something of a question if I may. Casting with wax and clay molds was explained a bit, instead of making the ingot of bronze or gold could they have simply used molds for making the wire instead of all the labor intensive hammering? I will check back later to see if this gets a reply, I've always loved these subjects but have never had the opportunity to work with museums.

[@angelbird7227]

I *was* wondering that!

[@paulmanson253]

Joshua Warchild PhD I do not have answers but copper and bronze(copper and tin) work harden quite rapidly.The only way to anneal is to heat past the triple point and then quench. The opposite of steel. No idea when wire drawing through a harder ( iron or steel) die was first thought of. Gold can be drawn,literally drawn by pulling as it is malleable and ductile, only superseded by platinum. Either way,the golden torque wire with attached finials represents mind boggling hours spent by some who were absolute masters of the metal. Described as iron age objects,so one thing learned by history is techniques have been invented,lost and relearned again and again. Probably simple techniques with simple tools used. The more primitive the technique, the greater the mastery is needed. Very possibly through some sort of die. Microscopic study of the wire might reveal clues.

[@BlacksmithTim]

Seems to be a dead link now.

[@mikeblair2594]

timothy park- nope

[@simonblackwood4672]

I love hearing people who are so passionate about what they do

[@jokersgiddygrin]

... especially when they're thieves like the British Museum. I don't understand how passionate historians can reconcile their passion and not want items returned to their owners.

[@alexandramaclachlan7597]

When they get on an enthusiastic train of knowledge & passion, then smirk at the camera xx

[@CC-fo7tr]

@@jokersgiddygrin findsies keepsies.

[@Jesse__H]

@@jokersgiddygrin This is based on a CELTIC torc from Norfolk you knob.

[@marktroiani5401]

This series is priceless. So much passion from each and every curator indicates a culture at the British Museum that encourages young people to choose these fields.

[@NewMessage]

I thought she was going to show us, not just torc about it.

[@gordonchapman222]

Oh 🤔I thought that was just a clever joke, but you are right, all she does is talk about it and describes how she made it. I wonder why they didn't film and show that part. A little disappointing really 🙁

[@ianpaulmurray3447]

Of course we only have depictions of them on naked bodies, just saying...

[@retepish]

I too think she is very good looking, but I have to admit the fact she is talking about something without sounding snobbish is why I am taking her seriously.

[@jerkfudgewater147]

Ya this lady is so much worse than what i’ve come to expect from this channel

[@markwaldron8954]

Yes, in the interest of historical accuracy, Julia should wear the torc the way the ancient Celtic warriors did. I.e. wear the torc....and nothing else.

[@jadenephrite]

Thank you, Dr. Julia Farley, for your video. For those who are unfamiliar with metals such as gold, silver and copper and their alloys, metals have properties of ductility and malleability. Ductility refers to the metal’s ability to be elongated into wire. Malleability refers to the metal’s ability to be compressed into sheet. However hammering, forging, elongating and twisting produces considerable deformation stress in the metal which hardens it but can also crack due to excessive fatigue. Therefore in order to reduce the stress imparted by work hardening, the metal needs to be periodically annealed to soften the metal. Annealing is done by heating the metal to a high enough temperature and then allowing it to cool whereby stress is alleviated..

[@DavidNormoyle]

I so enjoyed this, I am a fourth generation metal worker, whose ancestors came to Australia from Ireland 'in 1890 as blacksmiths and coach builders and in turn have developed a successful metal working business in Old Sydney town. I have long had a fascination for Celtic metalwork. Like you, I have studied many of these ancient Hallstatt and Le T'ene metal art pieces and have carved and Lost Wax cast pieces using modern equipment myself, in Silver and Bronze. You are so correct when you state that it can go wrong in so many ways. The work of many of these artisans who used the most simple primitive tools and materials is simply astounding. What you have described through your experience is a wonderful awakening and you present it well.

[@mollyswan-sheeran2670]

My life's work was in bronzesmithing and silversmithing. The skilled smith could hammer out wire as fine as that gold torc. I did lots of hammering heavy wire to six-sided and then twisting. I too have drawn out silver wire. But for gold wire as thick as that used in this torc, hammering out out would have been sufficient. It is amazing how after many years the hand holding the hammer knows just how to do this process. I wish I were in good enough health to continue.

[@brettsalter3300]

@@mollyswan-sheeran2670 One of my greatest lamentations about artisans is all that knowledge, once transmitted physically onto /into objects, to create such beauty, is eventually lost. A lifetimes practise and honing is gone, or, as in your sounding situation, one is simply unable to continue. I empathise with you, as my failing sight makes drawing less possible. I guess that is part of what makes art so wonderful, is that it is not easily come by.

[@nordiskkatt]

Torcs are such an iconic Celtic thing. They're lovely.

[@PortmanRd]

Snettisham would probably fall into the kingdom of the Iceni.

[@mydogeatspoo]

This is the type of quality video I want to watch on this channel.

[@donaldasayers]

The fine wire for the Snettisham torc would have had to been drawn to size through a series of smaller and smaller tapered holes in dies. There is quite simply no other way to do it without using grooved rollers, which without lathes and industry they can't have had. Without being drawn the wire simply would not be that even and smooth. Fullers probably were used for the initial reduction of the ingot to a size where it could be drawn. Art to some extent is driven by available materials, you just wouldn't even contemplate making a fine wire torc unless you had wire to play with. Which means there had to be a relatively easy process to make it. OK so that's just opinion, but opinion based on many years of metalwork. That's the way I would do it given Celtic technology. Is there any archeological evidence for drawing dies? Evidence like small semi precious stones such as agate with small tapered holes in them, perhaps misunderstood as beads?

[@systlin2596]

You, friend, just demonstrated how important it is for traditional craftspeople to talk with archaeologists. There are indeed lots of Celtic beads such as you describe, in glass and stone. (www.jstor.org/stable/25506814?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents) As well as bronze plates that are assumed to be belt buckles, with a series of small holes in them that look awfully similar to modern draw plates to my eyes, and I'm not even a metalworker. It might not be out of line for you to email the museum.

[@NiskRanThawll]

Forgive my ignorance here, but I'm assuming once the metal had been forged out from the ingot into the basic wire form with I'm assuming a channel in an anvil/stone as described in the video. Would the wire then be fired up to working temp and fed through the drawing beads by hand? Or would those beads simply be for evening off braids of wire to uniformity? I'm not sure I get how without pressure rollers wire could be fashioned in enough quantity and quality to be a building component.

[@Herr_Flick_of_ze_Gestapo]

Captain Codpiece. pulling wire is a very very simple and quick process. you just pull the wire thru the hole and then thru series of smaller and smaller holes. in between you need to anneal the wire. the wire is pulled while its cold. just look up on youtube how to pull gold wire. I can pull several meters of gold wire within an hour.

[@georgeparker9530]

Yes there is evidence of draw plates. they have been found in several digs.

[@MrDasfried]

was looking for that comment ... the guys back then werent stupid and I cant immagine that some crazy lord orders his 20 slaves to hammer around for a year instead of doing something actualy useful .... But ya only theories we have

[@JoySynthesis]

This is an excellently produced video. Dr. Farley is a fascinating teacher and a total dreamboat

[@jorgegonzalez-larramendi5491]

another knockout yes intelligent women Rock - farley is an irish last name, no ? one day those "celts" in The Perfid will be allowed to learn about the celts in iberia where the monuments Get A Roof. amazing torque she made.

[@andrewirvine324]

Hell Yeah ! I met her once and had (have) SUCH a crush

[@brucemarston5344]

What the people want is science, fun and craftsmanship. Thank you.

[@TheCelticGoldsmith]

Great talk, thank you! At 8:30 it's mentioned that the wire was hand hammered to get a uniform diameter and length. There must be some sort of sort of drawplate or wire pulling technique which ancient goldsmiths used, otherwise making it all by hand, hammering it to the desired length is just a mind boggling amount of work.

[@tigerwa]

Congratulations, this was marvelous and the lady presented it perfectly, her knowledge and enthusiasm came across perfectly.

[@blucie9768]

I love to listen to people talk about topics they love, it could be anything, when the person is passionate it's fascinating

[@derekcomer4858]

You have a lovely voice and calm manner, I could listen to you for hours. Thank you 🙏

[@kendawg_mcawesome]

Fascinating stuff. Unlikely I would have learnt about this anywhere else. Great video.

[@MrTorleon]

Fascinating and intelligently presented.With the final torc - not hours of work, but weeks, even months. This fine and intricate metalworking was introduced gradually from the continent, and one can only imagine how slowly the knowledge and skills were absorbed and established - and the status of the metal worker grew in importance in his local tribe or village. KZbin at it`s best - wonderful video :)

[@TheGLpanda]

Great video, the series makes me want to become a museum curator!

[@daddyaf945]

Long winters and nothing to watch on television resulted in some remarkable works of art in the ancient world.

[@SauronsEye]

Her enthusiasm was awesome. She draws you in and makes you want to learn more.

[@dazuk1969]

I have made a few bits of jewelry in silver....so i know making that torc in bronze would have been really hard work. Big shout to ya Girl for doing so, and highlighting the skill, time and effort it takes to craft something in this way. Respect to all at the British museum.

[@teresahall7469]

Sue is an amazing presenter, bringing history and the people who wielded these swords to life!

[@PortCharmers]

Just visited the British Museum a couple of weeks ago and was stunned by the sheer size of the collection, but even more by the craftsmanship of the ancient cultures. We have some Celtic relics over here n Bavaria as well, and there is a reproduction settlement close by where there was a fair lately where visitors could fiddle together some wire rings to produce a little chain-mail (I still use mine as a key-ring, or rather 47 key-rings). It only occurred to me afterwards that even though it seems to be a lot of effort to create a whole shirt this way, we still missed all the work that went into producing all that wire in the first place.

[@flamencoprof]

Judging by the weight of learned previous comments, and drawing from long-made personal observations, I think scholars have long underestimated the raw human intelligence common to ours that existed in the past. They found ways to do things through experience and observation; the only mystery is how modern minds fail to acknowledge how much was known in the past. BTW, I have just discovered this series, it is awesome and a credit to both the Museum and British scholarship as a whole. I regret having only a day in the Museum while on a visit from NZ in "96. Oh well, I had to make room for the V & A as well!

[@BubblewrapHighway]

Agreed! It's very easy to think of early humans as simple and ignorant, but over the years I've forced myself to think of them as far more in tune with the natural world than any of us.

[@Moamanly]

Tena koe, I think the Neanderthals have got an awfully bad wrap too actually; they were running around a hellova lot longer than Homo Sapiens have managed-and WITHOUT fucking the planet up.

[@DonnaTaibossigai]

Wow! Thanks for helping me understand how these were made. I don't think I've ever fully appreciated the amount of work that goes into these. I would see things like these in the museums, give a passing glance, and continue on.

[@charlesgoddard7026]

Wonderful vid, massively interesting, fantastically enthusiastic gifted curator. Thanks!

[@suecox2308]

Fascinating--and a beautiful result.

[@corinnecowper1339]

Wow! I feel l hit the jackpot with this Curator's Corner. I make jewellery and love Celtic jewellery and art so to see an explanation of how this torc was made was wonderful.

[@murraykriner9425]

Such a inviting session for the modern jewelry maker who really wants a challenge. So glad you approached this from the artisan view rather than the selfish wants of the noble or wealthy patrons who hired for these items. Duly impressed that your working knowledge has shown you the importance of many working to build a consistently beautiful device no matter its intend purpose by the user. Your comments of the hand worked wire to produce uniformity for each wire twisted, think you said 68, is an unusual observation when most look only upon the end finials that adorn this object. My thanks for sharing young lady.

[@sislertx]

I REALLY LOVE THIS SERIES.

[@katiekat4457]

I love this show. I just found it yesterday and I have been bin watching it ever since. Once I finish the show Curator’s Corner I am going to be checking out the other videos TBM has. I want to see if the Smithsonian also has great videos like this. I hope they do. This was a great idea.

[@231170maxo]

Thanks you very much Julia for your pasion in this celtic art...thanks for sharing...

[@mrberryman]

Brilliantly described, and clearly explained; thanks!

[@jeniwatkins3297]

I've loved them since the first one i saw. They are fascinating! I have a beautiful sterling and gold set of neck ring and bracelet or arm ring, with amethysts set in the ends. I wish i had occasion to wear the neck ring more often. I'd enjoy seeing more of the collection if you could share. Just a video showing us different ones and tell a little about each one

[@lilitharam44]

Thank you for making this video. I really enjoyed it! Sending you greetings from Memphis, TN. Cheers!

[@mrbroeders]

You did a great job. Looks amazing.

[@joshuarosen6242]

Julia makes an excellent point about the value of direct experience in understanding physical objects. Actually trying to make something yourself without using modern techniques can reveal an enormous amount about the challenges faced by our forebears and how they dealt with those challenges. I'm interested in early music. When I was a small child almost all Baroque and Renaissance music was played on modern instruments. Since then, musicians have learnt a huge amount from playing replicas of old instruments that wasn't obvious from just the score on its own.

[@scotcompston]

Absolutely astonishing

[@riverpanorama5633]

love the way you explained lost wax method process

[@ilokivi]

Great piece of work. Well done.

[@RyllenKriel]

I love that Julia did some smithing. Nice work, she has my respect. You can really appreciate a craft and understand it intimately if you experience it first hand. Sadly there are too many historians who never try this and only read about a subject in question. Living history is far more exciting and engaging.

[@highland-oldgit]

Possibly the most interesting thing I've watched on youtube this year.

[@lydiapurple]

it would be neat to see the footage of the making!

[@yuppy1967]

That is a great presentation, thank you!

[@lindakile1229]

As usual, this was a great video. I had never heard of this kind of cup, but that would have been so funny. Thanks again.

[@norrieblackeby1041]

Excellent video. So informative! Thank you!

[@Slarti]

Fascinating! Particularly as the young lady gave it a go herself and explained her appreciation for how involved making one of these torcs is. As for how to make a Celtic torc, just tell them you follow Hibernain.

[@frankfontaine8390]

Thank you for this 😊 you do a great job hope you’re still doing it !

[@spikedeane9112]

Great Video, loved the exhibition. It does make you stop and appreciate it. I work with lost wax quite a lot but I can't imagine hammering out that much wire. The amount of hours yes but also the hours to get that good!

[@DarkMoonDroid]

Beautiful!!! Thank you!

[@jackielou68]

Very informative, thanks so much! I would love to see a video on one of the many examples of trichinpoloy chain that are in the museum! :)

[@StanJankowski]

Thank you, started watching these they are fascinating

[@n.d8001]

getting some Art education from The British Museum is fun. Thank you so much

[@canovwrms2684]

Very interesting ...enjoyed .Thank you for sharing this..

[@DonCrowder]

Fascinating!

[@robertschlesinger1342]

Very interesting. Torcs come in various styles, and from various Celtic tribes. Their purpose has been controversial, but I believe they provided the wearer protection against a weapon attack upon their neck. The weapon, generally a sword would have to be parallel to the torc to pierce the neck, otherwise the torc would block the striking weapon . The torc would also provide protection against an animal attack upon the neck, but this would be a less important use, although the Roman's used attack dogs in some battles. I purchased some ancient bronze torcs at major European auctions about 25 years ago, and there is significant variance amongst them.

[@bethbartlett5692]

Wise deduction, I agree - neck protection, and they may have taken on a desire for apparel context - thus becoming a product that could be purchased for vanity purposes. Would like to view photos of your collection, if you have them on any public media - please provide a link. Thanks

[@legioxciicorvus5917]

That's an interesting idea, but I don't see how that could protect someones neck from a blow from a sword. I think its a bit of a far-fetched conclusion but it could be plausible.

[@DC-ei9vl]

That would make sense. From what I've read, the Celts did take heads.

[@lynnblack6493]

And she's right! How did they become such fantastic craftsmen, with so little in way of tools and construction aides. Awe inspiring when we think process.

[@mollyswan-sheeran2670]

Hammer, anvil, draw plate, forge. Practice, practice practice.

[@stormw5609]

WONDERFUL! Thank you.

[@henrybadd5866]

Craftsmanship is something even time cannot overcome sometimes! Your work was nice for your first. As an artist I suggest anyone and everyone try some. Then consider the labor and love that went into something you've created the next time you try to buy hand crafted items and not haggle for a cheaper price. Keeping this in mind as well. An artists best work is created when there mind and heart are at their lightest and full of pure good energy and blessings for its new owner.

[@sim33009]

Fascinating.

[@rainydaylady6596]

I, too, was fascinated with the artistry and complexity of some of the jewelry when I saw the King Tut exhibit decades ago in Seattle. I was especially taken with a very small piece showing a man sitting with his knees up, feet flat and hands on his knees. The detail blew me away. Tiny fingernails and toenails. Then I went to the gift shop where there was a replica and it wasn't even close to the original. It made me realize how much time and effort someone spent making the figurine.

[@michaelwoffindin5327]

This was a great torc talk.

[@Grovesie35]

I love the fact that she is using a pair of welpers rather than needle nose to craft her metalwork.

[@TheWolfmoon123]

so amazing!!!

[@oulipolesceptique9449]

Very cool, and interesting!

[@bevanpope7924]

My Lady, you Can talk the torc. Thanks for sharing.

[@ziko317]

Great video! Ts. Definetly made by great historical craftsmanship. Ts. Would like to see the process of making one. Ts.

[@ethan073]

I’ve done some casting and forging, too. I can’t imagine making that whole thing by hand!

[@kenhutley971]

I have, and it induces massive respect and awe of these circa 9th century creators. The BM used to employ a very capable goldsmith a decade or so ago to replicate many items such as these. As a retired goldsmith myself I would have enjoyed meeting with him.

[@Nyctophora]

Informative!

[@spartacusmills3569]

The clay packing and the melting wax did it for me 👍

[@BottleBri]

The people who made the big torc must have been masters of metal working. And it makes you think what other things they must have made, and how many torcs they must have made, because the finished article is the pinnacle of torc making, they clearly knew everything about how to make them by the time that one was made.

[@skatedd2451]

This shows you the time in those days wasn't as precious as it is today.. people obviously had time to work on things like that and make them perfect.... especially in this mass produce world we live in.. everyone wants things now.. truly amazing workmanship...

[@viv5645]

I don't think they did have the time. I think they had very busy lives

[@skatedd2451]

@@viv5645 had very busy lives making jewellery... that was probably there trade. Jewellery makers..

[@viv5645]

@@skatedd2451 - seriously.

[@skatedd2451]

@@viv5645 little space people made them and their little Spaceland seriously

[@alflurin]

My father was a lost wax mould expert and it's quite interesting to find out that it is such a very old technique. Even now, with modern CNC machines and CAD design it is still quite difficult, so I can't even imagine how difficult it was back in the iron age.

[@Ravenshadowrage]

This information is exactly what I needed! I'm actually looking for someone who could make me a torc or teach me how to make one. Where did you learn to do this metalwork?

[@yeahwhatever1359]

Julia could be talking about aluminum foil and I would be mesmerized...

[@neilwilson5785]

I didn't realize that I was being ASMR'd, and getting educated at he same time.

[@vivienrhodes4248]

Thanks most enjoyable as I love jewels etc

[@ValBlanc19]

getting ready for a date tonight great tutorial

[@tyedye571]

Those torcs are huge! They must weigh a ton! I don't know if they had drawplates back then, but that is how you make wire by hand now. For the thinner wire, start with smaller ingots. Pull the ingot through the drawplate a few times, through smaller and smaller holes, then anneal the wire to soften then rinse and repeat until it's the thickness you want. The drawplate makes very even wire.

[@bepolite6961]

Most of the larger torcs are in fact made from hollow rolled gold/silver tubes, not wire. Imagine the skill it took to manually hammer an ingot into a sheet of metal thin enough to role into a tube, incredible skill..

[@ranierberger8697]

Thank you very much

[@tonyennis3008]

That scarf thing you are wearing is handmade. Very nice.

[@typograf62]

You do not hammer wire to get a smooth and even look. And you do not need a rolling mill either. When you have a basic shape, slightly tapered in one end, you pull that ingot through a series of (tapered) holes in a heavy steel plate. You will need to grease the holes and you will need to anneal the wire several times during the process. You will have to use a special gripper to get a good grip on the wire and maybe a system of pulleys. But that gold wire shown can easily by hand drawn.

[@viv5645]

And some of the earlier comments point out that organic items would have been used (and lost over the years) before steel was, the whole thread is really interesting

[@JulianMakes]

what a lovely object. i'd love to have a go at making one. The Snetterton torc must have been very heavy to wear (ps julia was a great Hermione! :)

[@pirwzy]

A video documenting the metalwork she described attempting would have been neat. Maybe in the future?

[@ClaireAgincourt]

Silver and Gold are much softer metals, so when you said you made it out of bronze i was like, noooo! xD I've worked with bronze, steel, brass, copper, aluminum, and honestly, you couldn't have chosen a more difficult metal to work with unless you'd gone with steel. But i love bronze, so i sympathize. lol

[@drychaf]

After many years of admiring the ancient torcs of the Celts (I'm Welsh, so the history resonates) I could hardly believe my eyes when I went wandering the countryside villages of southern China some ten to 20 years ago and witnessed young women (Hmong nation) dressed in their traditional clothes, wearing torcs to market. Until recently, this was much more widespread, but China has changed so much, so quickly, I guess that already, they'd have stopped wearing such things to market. There is a lot of dressing up for tourists and folkloric shows these days - and tourists can dress up in the clothes for photos. There are extremely elaborate examples of Hmong silver torcs and other jewelry kept within families, and others made for sale.

[@DavidNormoyle]

The drawing process as the previous gentleman suggested is the only way to create consistent wires in that period. But this adds another distinct level of complexity. These drawing dies need to be made from hard materials such as high carbon iron. The drawing process requires drawing through consecutively smaller holes and they must be accurately drilled into the hard die. The Torque you displayed had a massive amount of wire in it and it was relatively fine and consistent , perhaps because it was a repro. I'm keen to see a photo of the original now. A great resource book to assist in the unravelling of these pieces is Oppi Untracht's "Jewellery concepts and technology." The Bible on jewellery metalwork.

[@Archaeopteryx128]

Experimental archaeology. Cool!

[@garethbaus5471]

For school I am analyzing an artifact and I think it might have been a fragments from a peice of jewelry similar to a torc, perhaps even a torc. If it weren't for this video I would have had a hard time at coming up with what it might be. Thanks for creating this video. And if anyone can give some ideas on how to date a metal artifact with almost no context for where and how it was found.

[@briganja]

I absolutely loved this vid! But I'm curious - why are there so few burials from Iron Age England? Did they dispose of their dead via a non-burial method?

[@nazufani]

Thank you for the vid. Having made one torc from copper, softer metal & yes, they are time consuming. I would hazard a guess that like blacksmiths the metal would be red hot. Cooled before pulling & twisting. The act of twisting would then, not only be easier, but also harden the metal.

[@notoxygen2904]

different way to make wire is to hammer out a plate an cut thin, square wire off it. you can spiral twist or roll the wire (depending on hardness) and/or sand down the edges to round. i believe I read the Etruscans(?) made filigree wire that way on wearing one, and wearing out/work hardening the metal, don't forget that metalsmithing was a very specialized job in that very few had the knowledge to do it. 'just heat it up to anneal it' isn't as easy to do without damage when done in a charcoal fire rather than a modern torch or kiln. Plus, getting rid of the oxidation/fire scale and re-polishing the metal isn't simple or intuitive. it looks simple to use vinegar and salt to remove oxidation, but, especially at the time, very difficult to throw out the hard to acquire 'pickling' and not drink the now toxic brew...

[@jimparsons6803]

Interesting. So they had various sorts of metal working, wire working devices like a pair of pliers?

[@christophersmith5691]

The great torque from Snettisham, made of electrum, which you show, may have been made, as has been suggested, in or around 70 BC, but I like to think of it as the royal insignia of the kings of the Iceni, who had minted their own coins, down to Prasutagus - famed for his wealth says Tacitus - wealth which stimulated Seneca, Nero's former tutor into lending 90 million sesterces (a third of his fortune), and which exited the greed of both Nero and his procurator - it was the latter who sent in the bailiffs after Prasutagus died, and whose rapacity, says Tacitus, drove the Britons to war. On this basis it is attractive to hypothesise that the Snettisham treasure was buried in 60 AD, to avoid it's seizure by the Roman bailiffs. Its magnificence being well known, it's concealment enraged the Romans who took reprisals on Boudicca and the royal family. They rebelled, so that the procurator who had only 300 men fled London, taking ship no doubt on the Thames as did the Roman merchants. They didn't fancy being hung, burned and crucified along with the 70,000 Romans and provincials who perished. Total casualties came to 150,000, a plausible figure for Tacitus was a Senator with access to official records, or those who knew of them

[@newwavepop]

looking at that gold one she has as an example, that thing is huge. i just cannot even imagine people walking around wearing those things on their necks. im curious how much give it has as i assume putting it on and removing it requires bending the thing enough to keep it secured on you. or would there have just been a separate piece used to connect the loops on each end.

[@SN00PICUS]

Atleast she''s honest, if she had claimed she managed to hand make that i'd have called BS. Hard to imagine how strong an old world blacksmith was.

[@lemonadecupcakes]

What if they had a standardized stick or rod that they could press into a series of clay blocks to make molds, then pour in the liquid metal? That might speed up the process and cut down on the intense physical cost of hammering it out by hand. Or can you see the hammer marks?

[@thatsmallrockshop]

Thats why it was called a trade. The apprentice traded labour for room and board and the knoledge of the master.

[@viv5645]

Wow! That makes sense - I've learned lots reading all these comments but this was the most surprising, thank you

[@Moamanly]

Yeah, I picture a group of young apprentices doing all the donkey-work.......rolling all those wires for the main body of the torc.

[@snowflakemelter1172]

Its not just old crusty antiques in the British museum apparently, there's some very beautiful newer exhibits to look at.

[@melmo5218]

When you examine the thin gold wire does it show evidence of hammering? Is the gold work-hardened in the process? It looks so uniformly thin. Is it possible that in the final stages it was drawn through a bronze wire die? I suppose you'd have found some examples of wire dies by now. EDIT oops. I've just seen almost the same comment below.

[@rumpelpumpel7687]

8:00 i would have guessed, that such small diameter wires would be a little easier to produce than those finger-thick rods. Today goldsmiths produce fine wires in small diameters by ... well yes - first casting a bar, hammering it in some sort of shape but here comes the "easy part". There is a steelplate with holes in it, today probably drilled and filed, but in iron age absolutly possible by using awls. Through those steelplate holes you pull the prehammered rod (which is of course easier with silver/gold alloys since they are smoother to form) and slowly work your way from bigger holes to the smaller diameters. I myself had the luck to produce silver wire like this when i was trying the goldsmith profession some decade ago xD - the metal does need some soft-annealing every now and then so it wont break but over-all i'd consider this to be a technique that could have been used in iron age already ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIPJkpZmhrx7gKs maybe? Also if you guys are interessted in prehistoric goldsmithing i strongly recommend to look up the golden hat of Schifferstadt, golden hat of Ezelsdorf/Buch, golden hat of Avanton. These are superthin goldfoil hats, that look like "old wizard hats", are from ~1500-800 b.chr. and are considered to be probably part of the same cultur that left behind the nebra sky disk (which is also quite fascinating in case you dont know about it yet). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_hat