Video summary
Archaeologist Raksha Dave visits Butser Ancient Farm to look at the beginning of the Bronze Age and construct a Bronze Age axe head in exactly the same way Bronze Age man would have done.
Starting with copper and tin, we see how an axe is made by heating the metal to 1,000 degrees centigrade, turning it into a red-hot liquid, before cooling it in water.
To finish the process, the blade is fitted onto a wooden handle.
Flint and bronze axes are then compared to explore the impact that metal making had on people in Britain.
Teacher Notes
Could be used to explore Stone Age technology 鈥 what tools did they use and how were they made?
By realising how skilled flint workers were, pupils can be made to appreciate the competence of people at the time and how well-adapted they were to their environment.
This clip will be relevant for teaching History and Social Studies at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.
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