Bells have long been part of human history and culture, first appearing around 2000 B.C. as simple percussion instruments and continuing to celebrate special events with their melodic ring. The largest bell here was made in Sheffield, England, in 1860 by Naylor, Vickers & Co., is marked around the outside in cast steel, measures 27 inches in diameter, and still retains its original headstock and wheel with the company's signature curlicue spokes. The company advertised that its bells had a pure melodious sound peculiar to cast steel and that the material's elasticity produced more powerful vibrations whose sound carried farther. This example was most likely intended for a church. A smaller 25-inch cast steel bell is unmarked and represents the kinds of bells used by schools to call students to class or signal fires and emergencies. The smallest bell is made of bronze and was most likely used on a ranch, at a school, or possibly to signal activity at a mine.