Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bronze, copper, melt, metal, pliny the elder, recycle, rome, scrap, statue
According to Roman historian Pliny the Elder, worn metal statues from regions that the Roman Empire conquered were torn down and sent to Rome. Pliny also discusses the reuse of scrap copper and scrap reuse facilities. Brindisi, an Italian port city for melting and recasting foundries, was located at the terminus of the Appian Way, the portal into eastern parts of the Roman Empire.
Scrap metal and statues commemorating ancient gods and heroes were melted down and recast as weapons, armor, and objects for personal use (i.e. bronze mirrors).
One can argue that this ancient bronze recycling trade was founded primarily on political reasons rather than economical ones. As the Roman Empire expanded throughout the Mediterranean world, the areas under Roman control needed to be secured using a psychological tactic — the statues of idols that the conquered people had been attached to would be removed from all the public squares and agoras.
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- Ancient Bronze Recycling Trade
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