Metallurgy and Metalworking. The huge and increasing mining of metal ores precipitated a comparable industry in metallurgy. The Romans found most metals alloyed together when they mined, so separating the ore into the desired individual metals was a constant activity. Gold and silver went primarily for coinage, jewelry, and luxury items. Bronze, lead, iron, and other metals served a host of needs from piping to weapons to tableware to statuary. As in other areas, the Romans increased the scale and range of metallurgy, incorporating the industry into the vast network of the empire.

Stone and Stoneworking. Many of the most famous images and artifacts of ancient Rome, from the Coliseum to the aqueducts, are built of stone. Given that for the most part only the basic structures and cheaper stones survive of such structures, we should remember...