Steel has had a big impact on the development of civilisation over the centuries, with changing production methods having huge effects on western civilisation in particular.  Towns like Sheffield in England have become known for their steel industry and history, with some recent archaeological finds telling us more about the role of steel in this city over the centuries.  With the modern production of large scale steel infrastructure and the prolific nature of the prefabricated garage industry, it might seem like steel has always been available for us to manipulate and work with at our will – however, the history of Sheffield tells us another story.  The modern day steel products that we take for granted today, such as twin garages complete with door motors (Torantriebe) and huge internal spaces, have not been available for long when compared with the rest of the history of the steel industry.

Steel is an alloy that has changed the world, consisting mostly of iron, with carbon being the most widely used alloying material.  Other alloying materials can be used, such as manganese, vanadium, tungsten and chronium.  The steel industry today is huge in scale, with some towns and regions almost totally dependent on the industry for their economic survival.  The most famous of all steel towns is Sheffield in England, known as the steel city its recent history is almost entirely linked with the industrial revolution and the changes in steel production that were born because of it.  Sheffield steel is known all over the world, with advances in steel production such as the crucible process coming out of the city.  Stainless steel was also invented in the city of Sheffield in 1912 by a man named Harry Brearley.  Other developments also occurred in Sheffield in the later part of the 20th century, including the technology that has allowed the production of high strength and low alloy steel components.

These developments in steel production allowed industries such as the prefabricated garage industry to become successful, as they offered a way for high volume and low cost steel to be manufactured with ease.  Before these developments, Sheffield was known primarily for its production of steel tools and cutlery;  with much of the archaeological finds around the city finding these kinds of implements.  The Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet is an 18th century scythe workshop that documents some of the more significant archaeological finds, as does The Kelham Island Museum, The Traditional Heritage Museum and the Weston Park Museum.

The steel prefabrication industry is big all around the globe, with prefabricated garages (Fertiggaragen) being sold all throughout the old and new worlds.  This industry produces a large number of different garage designs, from simple structures to elaborate systems with door motors and security features.  Door motors and key less entry systems offer a major advantage to motorists, and are a big seller in many garage production plants.  Innovations such as this would never have been dreamed of by the steel workers in Sheffield a couple of centuries ago, and the archaeology found in the area offers a vibrant contrast to the shine and sophistication of the steel industry today.