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Roman Woodworking

by Roger B. Ulrich

By N.S. Gill, About.com

Roman Woodworking is an amply black & white-illustrated reference work for those students and scholars interested in ancient trees and wood crafts. It should share shelf space with books on ancient ships and architecture and would be an especially handy companion for Vergil and Pliny. It includes chapters on the identity of the Roman woodworkers, his tools, wooden joints, foundations, framing and walls, flooring, roofing and ceilings, interior woodwork, wheels, furniture and veneers, classification of trees, Italian forests, a 67-page glossary, and an appendix on the tools.

11. Chapter 11 - Furniture and Veneers

In describing ancient furniture there are problems of preservation. What was found in Egypt may not represent Roman style, although Ulrich says there were widespread standards. Most furniture has disintegrated but carbonized furniture from Herculaneum and Egyptian tombs give us some ideas.

12. Chapter 12 - Classification of Trees and Species of Timber

Ulrich says carpenters classified wood by density, hardness, and weight. Wild wood was denser, harder, and heavier and best for woodworking. Cultivated trees tended to be better for food. This chapter is especially useful for reading the Aeneid. It also contains information about wood preservatives, which included charring, pickling, and costly cedar oil.

13. Chapter 13 - The Forests of Italy

The Appenines run the length of Italy and into Sicily. In this mountain range were forests and a logging industry. Near Rome there were 4 areas with good hardwoods and pines that would not have been depleted. The lowlands produced shrubs, evergreens and trees useful for their nuts or resin, and the holm-oak. The larch, which grew in the Alps was fire-resistant.

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