Re: roman tools  more

I think the iron age started a couple hundred years before  the tribes
around the Tiber first organized into anything that might be considered the
true start of Rome.  Bronze was pretty much already relegated to the
decorative arts and utensils by that time.  If I recall correctly, most of
the  Roman tools found to date have been iron (chisels , hatchets, ax,
planes, saws etc).  Some of the stone slabbing saws were bronze (copper and
tin), using sand and crushed emery to abrade through stone etc to get big
but manageable chunks for sculpture, buildings,  etc.

I think they copied the ancient Egyptian methodology- who had also actually
mounted gemstones on some of their stone cutting saws(diamond point, haha)
but who also traditionally used the 'sanding' technique for stone cutting.
After the dawn of the republic, they had a huge political military
industrial complex with major mining and smelting and manufacturing
operations that were not matched again until the industrial revolution.
During the centuries of Empire, slave labor and multiple technical
'acquisitions' from conquered people allowed rapid implementation of
newfound knowledge and expertise in metallurgy, engineering,  and
architecture.    This organization and unification through language (Latin)
and the rule of law allowed for rapid dissemination of this new
information- the first info-tech revolution.
Remember that Caesar (Julius) (and his army) built a bridge over the Danube
with just wood in just 10 days during his first attempt to "pacify" the
Germanic tribes so he could cross the water and "enter with dignity" .  We
can do it with pontoons now,  and they knew about pontoons then, but he
wanted a bridge.   Of wood.  Cool, eh?   Hmm,   Rome then had pretty much
the same power and influence as the United States of today.

Ok so I am way off topic here, but what the hell, this is the porch,
right?...  and I'm sitting here with a nice beverage in the early evening,
rocking in my chair (seriously, I am) and chatting...
Claudio