The lyf so short, the craft so long to learne

-Geoffrey Chaucer
Ancient Assyrians transporting timber. Relief from the palace of Sargon II, Khorasbad, 8th century BCE.

The respect awarded a builder is derived from his skill in craftsmanship, his aesthetic and esoteric understanding, and his association with valuable raw materials that come from afar.  The practice of carpentry is not only a spatial operation, but also an exercise of accumulated skills over time.  This history is not one of rapid change or revolution, but of slow and steady trial and error.  The stream of history that carries the carpenter is not turbulent, but deep. From ancient Mesopotamia to the present day, the work of the carpenter is low-key and anonymous, yet invaluable.  The woodworker can claim hold to a tradition of learning that began with primordial artisans.

Akkadian cylinder seal showing a deity (Gilgamesh?) working wood with an adze.  Late Akkadian, 2254-2154 BCE

Through the mysteries of the craft the woodworker releases the inner beauty of the sacred tree.  The carpenter reveals order in a formless universe.  His physical skill is accompanied by a secret language of technical jargon and mathematical methods.  Other non-material skills include self-discipline and the correct attitude to better oneself in the face of competition.  Responsibility and forethought are required in the proper execution of projects, and in the acquisition and maintenance of tools and materials.  One must possess an eye for both material quality and aesthetic value.  Beauty, for the carpenter, is often a reflection of utility.  Thus, skilled crafting is not simply technical and economic; it is social and ideological as well.  The carpenter’s place in the economy is mirrored by his place in the cosmology.