ThiS is not only a book of instruction in chainmaking but it is also a
work celebrating man's continuous creativity over thousands of years. At
times something that man creates has far-reach- ing effects; an example
that quickly comes to mind is the wheel, which has enabled many devel-
opments, from pottery to computers. At this point it is important to
note that these same wheels could not have been made without metal
tools. From early Neolithic times on gold was a favorite choice in the
making of jewelry. During the Neolithic period these "shining stones,"
probably alluvial, were prized. Actually gold was cold worked as if it
were a stone. There is a surviving example of cold-worked gold from
Catahuyuk (present day Turkey) estimated to have been made in 6500 B. C.
There were only four metals on the earth's surface that were found in
sufficient quantity to be used: gold, copper, silver, and meteoric iron.
An understanding of the malleability of gold, and of the annealing
effect of fire, changed jewelry making; new forms were found. Gold was
no longer a piece of stone but a material that could be flattened and
made very thin. Sheet and foil are the oldest forms of worked gold. The
smiths' tools were stone, wood, and horn.
