Present

The Infamous
Iron Age
By: Nathaniel Anabwani & Xylani Jones
 The iron-age was the end of the
Stone/Bronze age cycle and holds
many inventions that influence the way
people lived and now live
-Nathaniel Anabwani
The use/creation of Iron
(700B.C.)
The process of casting iron involves mixing iron with
carbon and other alloys, creating an iron alloy that is more
brittle, but also harder.
Cast iron played a large role in Iron Age China’s agricultural
development. The moldboard plow that emerged in Iron
Age China around the third century B.C. used a cast-iron
point to push soil away, allowing for the development of
contour plowing, which reduced erosion within soil.
How cast iron impacted the
world
Economic Impact : The mass production of these iron
tools met the local needs and contributed to trade
causing the economy to grow.
Cultural impact on society: I was unable to find any
cultural impact on society.
Political impact on society: The use of cast iron gave
military advantages with stronger, more durable
weapons..
Social impact of cast iron: I was unable to find any social
impact for cast iron.
 Pros and Cons of Cast Iron
Cons - Cast iron is heavy compared
to other materials,which makes
handling and transportation
challenging.
Cast iron is also very susceptible to
cracking if not quenching correctly.
Pros - Cast iron is great under
compression which helps the
durability for tools made out of it.
It also does not corrode like other
metals which makes it amazing in
any environment and situation.
 THE QUERN
The rotary quern stone that was created in Iron Age Britain
(400B.C.)
Rotary querns were also used to grind corn, even as
consisted of two stones on top of each other. The top stone had a early as 400 BC. A hole at the top in the upper stone
hole in it in which a person would pour in grain. They would then
was filled with grain. The stone was rotated to produce
rotate the top stone to grind the grain between the stones, and the
ground grain would spill out over the sides. coarse flour, which eventually spilled out between the
Although the rotary quern stone took more time to make than two stones.
other querns, it ​was able to produce grain way faster.
 How Querns Impact
Economic Impact: The rotary quern had economic implications, as the increased efficiency in grain
processing could lead to surplus production. Surpluses could be traded or stored for times of scarcity,
contributing to economic development and trade in ancient societies.
Impact on Social Structure: The ability to produce more food more efficiently may have had an impact on
social structures. Surpluses allowed for the support of larger populations, potentially leading to the
development of more complex societies and hierarchical structures.
Overall Technological Advancement: The rotary quern represented a technological advancement in the
processing of grains. This type of innovation reflects human ingenuity and a desire to improve daily tasks,
contributing to the overall technological progress of ancient societies.
Cultural impact on society: I was unable to find any cultural impact on society.
Political impact on society: I also could not find any info on this.
 Pros and cons of the rotary Quern
Pros - Compared to earlier grinding
methods the rotary quern was easier to
operate.
The rotary quern was also able to produce
more grain than the older quern versions
Cons - Although the rotary quern was an
improvement to earlier methods, it still
required significant manual labor to
operate, especially for grinding larger
quantities of grain.
The constant rubbing of stones would
cause them to become smooth which
means it would need to be replaced.