Iron and Steel and Society
| Module title | Iron and Steel and Society |
|---|---|
| Module code | HIC2034 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Gillian Juleff (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 32 |
|---|
Module description
On the one hand, mundane and ubiquitous, and on the other, powerful and awe-inspiring, iron and its sibling alloy steel have been central to human culture and socio-economic development since their advent over three millennia ago. They have both driven and responded to social and political change whilst paradoxically remaining a material constant. The production of iron and steel is resource-hungry and requires substantial social investment. Making iron and steel are also technologically complex processes that require socially-embedded know-how that is often historically unrecorded. Western perceptions of the trajectory of technological development situates the Industrial Revolution as the point of ascendency against which technology is measured. On this module you will examine the archaeologies of iron and steel through time to challenge dominant western paradigms and consider a global view that frequently reveals Asia at its apex. Understanding the complex history of iron and steel informs the debate on current and future sustainability of extraction and consumption. No prior knowledge of metals technology and science is required.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module introduces you to a broad array of archaeological, historical, anthropological and technological knowledge to chart the development of iron and steel across the globe from its earliest origins to the European industrial revolution. The aim is to challenge euro-centric discourses on the pre-industrial as primitive models of technology.
Through case studies and practical sessions you will become familiar with the nature of the evidence for ferrous metal production. Knowledge and accurate articulation of the technologies is fundamental to understanding the social, economic and political agency of iron and steel as the raw material for tools of work (agricultural, domestic and craft), and of weapons (offensive and defensive) in power dynamics and state-building. The module will give you a foundation for reassessing the balance between innovation and development and colonial acquisition during the industrial revolution. Through collaborative group-work you will contribute to creating a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style pitch for investment in new metallurgical ventures in the historical past. The aim of the module is to integrate objective technological knowledge with critical analysis of historical discourses.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate understanding of the technological processes of iron and steel production
- 2. Comprehend the range and forms of primary material evidence for metal production
- 3. Demonstrate understanding of the role of iron and steel in global cultural development over time
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Contextualize and critically assess western and non-western knowledge systems
- 5. Integrate technical evidence into humanities discourses using appropriate terminologies
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Combine independent, autonomous study with the ability to work collaboratively
- 7. Develop creative approaches in communication of ideas and evidence
- 8. Self-reflect on progress within a co-operative group environment
Syllabus plan
The module will cover a range of topics including the following:
- Understanding the technology: bloomery and blast furnace smelting
- Types of iron and how to use them – tools and weapons
- Landscapes of production: raw materials and resources
- Roman Europe and Han China: the first industrial revolutions
- An arms race: routes to weapons-grade steel in Asia and Europe
- Smelters and Smiths in Society: craft, class and caste; the ethnographies of pre-industrial iron
- Entrepreneurs and colonisers: early industrial processes and ‘borrowed’ technologies
- Industrial Revolution: scaling production, market forces and distribution
- Case studies
- Practical sessions
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 22 | 11 x 1-hour lectures; 11 x 1-hour practical and seminar workshops |
| Guided independent study | 128 | Private independent study and group work for assignments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revision notes presentation | 300 words | 1-6, 8 | Verbal |
| Draft dossier plan | 150 words | 1-8 | Written and verbal comment |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contribution to illustrated, group development pitch dossier | 40 | 1,000 words | 1-8 | Written |
| Essay | 60 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contribution to illustrated, group development pitch dossier | Section contribution to illustrated development pitch dossier (1,000 words) | 1-8 | Referral/deferral period |
| Essay | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-6 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Childs, S.T. & Killick, D.J., 1993. Indigenous African metallurgy: nature and culture. Annual Review of Anthropology, 22, pp.317–337.
Cleere, H. & Crossley, D.W., 1995. The iron industry of the Weald 2nd ed., Leicester University Press.
Craddock, P.T., 1995. Early metal mining and production, Smithsonian Institution Press.
English Heritage, 2011. Pre-industrial ironworks, English Heritage.
Forbes, R.J., 1955. Studies in ancient technology, Vol VIII, Leiden: Brill Archive.
Gordon, R.B. & Killick, D.J., 1993. Adaptation of Technology to Culture and Environment: Bloomery Iron Smelting in America and Africa. Technology and Culture, 34(2), pp.243–270
Hoover, H.C. and L.H. (trans), 1950. Agricola: De Re Metallica, Dover Publications, New York.
Hoyland, R.G. and Gilmour, B., 2001. Medieval Islamic swords and swordmaking: Kindi’s treatise “On swords and their kinds”, Warminster, Gibb Memorial Trust.*
Juleff, G., 1998. Early iron and steel in Sri Lanka: A Study of the Samanalawewa Area, Mainz: Zabern.
Juleff, G., 1996. An ancient wind-powered iron smelting technology in Sri Lanka, Nature, 379(6560), 60-63.
Juleff, G., 2009. Technology and evolution: a root and branch view of Asian iron from first-millennium bc Sri Lanka to Japanese steel. World Archaeology, 41(4), pp.557–577.
Needham, J. 1954-1995 (continuing) Science and Civilisation in China (8 vols) Cambridge University Press
Percy, J., 1864. Metallurgy: the art of extracting metals from their ores, and adapting them to various purposes of manufacture, J. Murray.
Rehder, J.E., 2000. The Mastery and Uses of Fire in Antiquity, McGill-Queens University Press, Toronto
Rostoker, W. & Bronson, B., 1990 Pre-Industrial Iron: its technology and ethnology, Philadelphia, US: Archeomaterials
Schmidt, P.R., 1997 Iron technology in East Africa: symbolism, science and archaeology, Indiana University Press
Schubert, H.R., 1957. History of the British iron & steel industry, London: AATA
Sim, D. and Ridge, I., 2002. Iron for the eagles: the iron industry of Roman Britain, Tempus, Stroud
Tylecote, R.F., 1976. A history of metallurgy, London: The Metals Society
Wagner, D. 2008 Science and Civilisation in China (Vol 5 Part 11) Cambridge University Press
Wagner, D. 1993. Iron and steel in ancient China, Leiden
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
https://historicalmetallurgy.org/ for Journal, newsletters, conferences and events
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7.5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 10/02/2023 |
| Last revision date | 13/03/2023 |
