David Liversage wrote:
> All that glisters is not gold, and not all that is claimed to be waste wax casting is so. Be careful. David Liversage.
Mr. Liversage,I'm afraid I do not understand you post. Do you mean to say that the two container casting system which Fred
Sias writes of was not used in the Americas? Or simply that not all wax based molds are not created equal?
Does the comment about the gliters/gold refers to the alloying and plating techniques which were wide spread in the Inca
and Mayan cultures?
Richard Furrer
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Fred R. Sias,
> Jr.
> Sent: 12 June 1999 16:37
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Pre-Columbian gold casting
>
> To anyone interested in pre-Columbian gold casting:
>
> I am writing a book on lost-wax casting and have been searching for detailed
> information on ancient casting techniques. In particular, I would like to
> correspond with someone with detailed information on the mold-making and
> casting techniques used by the societies of Central and South America prior
> to
> the arrival of the Spanish. I have read translations of the Florentine Codex
> by
> Sahagun.
>
> In particular, I would like to compare the methods with those used by the
> African founders in Benin, Ife, and what is sometimes called Ashante
> casting.
> I have recently attended an Ashante casting course that used charcoal and
> clay for a mold and then enclosed the metal and mold in an outer clay
> covering. The whole works was heated to the melting point of the metal
> with the metal below the mold. When the metal was melted the mold and
> crucible was turned over so that the metal would run into the sprue system
> and complete the casting. The inner layers of charcoal clay produces a
> reducing atmosphere that minimizes porosity.
>
> I have examined the illustrations that accompany the Florentine Codex and
> one could interpret some of the illustrations as showing the same procedure
> used by the Ashante. However, the text indicates that the metal was poured
> into an open sprue or gate. Could the original Spanish text be interpreted
> differently?
>
> Has anyone excavated foundry sites in Central and South America that
> would shed light on this question? If mold fragments are available, is it
> possible that the methods could be interepreted differently if one were
> looking for evidence of an "enclosed mold-crucible system" such as
> used by Ashante founders?
>
> I would be very interested in corresponding with anyone with information
> on this and would welcome any comment on my speculations.
>
> Fred
>
> ------------------
> Fred R. Sias, Jr., Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
> email: [log in to unmask]
> Web: http://www.ces.clemson.edu/~frsias/
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