Alessandra R G Giumlia-Mair

Alessandra Giumlia-Mair

Short CV
Doctor Philosophiae in Archaeologia at University Alma Mater Rudolphina in Vienna (Austria) and Master of Science in Archaeometallurgy at University of London (UK). I have been living and working in Austria, Great Britain and Germany and live now in Italy since 1999.
Formerly Head of Research Laboratory at the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, 1st of January 2021-December 2023.
Since 2000 owner of laboratory “AGM Archeoanalisi”, specializing in archaeometric analyses.
Previously professor by contract in Archaeometallurgy and Archaeometry at the Universities of Salzburg (Austria), Trieste and Udine (Italy) from 1990 to 2001. Various seminars at the Universities of Trento, Milan (Cattolica and Politecnico), Padua, Osaka, Klagenfurt, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Paris, Bruxelles, Ljubljana etc.
Vice-President of the Standing Committee of the Bronze Congress, Member and Secretary of the Archaeometry Commission of UISPP, President of the Standing Committee of the International Conference “Archaeometallurgy in Europe” and Member of the Standing Committee of the International Conference “Beginnings of the Use of Metals and Alloys (BUMA)” on Asian metallurgy.
Researches for several international projects on objects and collections of important institutions, such as the British Museum, London, the Ägyptische Sammlung in Munich, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Römisches Museum of Augsburg, Antikensammlung in Munich, Mestni Muzej in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Römisch-Germanisches Museum of Cologne, National Museum of Transylvania, Cluj Napoca, Romania, The Museum of Fine Arts Budapest, Hungary, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Pokrajnski Muzej Koper, Pokrajnski Muzej Celje and Pokrajnski Muzej Kranj ( Slovenia), National Museum Nicosia, Cyprus, National Museum of Hungary Budapest, Museo Egizio Turin, Museo Pigorini, Rome; Museo Nazionale di Firenze, Museo Nazionale di Cividale, Museo Archeologico di Napoli, National Museum Budapest, Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and several other museums and Soprintendenze in Italy and in Greece. Since 2010 I am the archaeometallurgist in a wide program of a research on the metallurgy of Bronze Age Crete, sponsored by the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP), Philadelphia.
Current projects: Cretan metallurgy in collaboration with INSTAP Philadelphia (USA) and INSTAPEC Crete; Frescoes from Novgorod, Russia; Iron Age finds from Savignano in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le Province di Ravenna, Forlì, Cesena e Rimini; two projects with the Soprintendenza Archeologica Milan, Roman statuettes in collaboration with the Archaeological Institute, University of Budapest and Nemzeti Museum Budapest, Roman Metallurgy in collaboration with Paul T. Craddock, formerly British Museum.
An almost complete bibliography can be found at:
http://www.archeophile.com/rw-bibliographie-agm.htm

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Papers by Alessandra R G Giumlia-Mair

Skillfully Crafted Bronze Basins from the Northwest Treasury at Knossos, 2022

The Journal of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences, Mar 1, 2019

This paper presents an overview of the analyses by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) of metal... more This paper presents an overview of the analyses by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) of metal objects from Cretan sites, carried out in the frame of a research project on Bronze Age Cretan metallurgy, sponsored by the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP). This paper focuses on the analysis of data from objects that were excavated at sites dating to different periods: copper-based and silver finds from Livari Skiadi, Hagia Photia, and Petras dated to the Early Minoan IB period (ca. 3000-2900 BC); the finds from Gournia, a Late Minoan I settlement (ca. 1625-1450 BC) now in the collection of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum); and those from the Late Minoan I-III (ca. 1625-1200 BC) town of Mochlos, an important port of trade.

Archeometriai műhely, 2023

Краткие сообщения Института археологии (КСИА)

This paper presents a study on the earliest examples of niello scientifically identified up to no... more This paper presents a study on the earliest examples of niello scientifically identified up to now. Niello is a black material consisting of one or more metal sulfides that can be used as decorative filling in keyings or channels cut on metals. On the origins of niello there exists quite a few misunderstandings and confusion, because in the past all black materials on metals were called “niello” without any discrimination between different substances and techniques. For instance, formerly it was believed that niello was employed in Egypt and in the Mycenaean world in the mid 2nd millennium BC, however various studies in the nineties of the last century demonstrated that the earlier black inlays on metal objects are not metal sulfides, but copper-based, artificially black patinated alloys. After the identification of the black patinated alloys it was then supposed that niello had been invented by the Romans, because it seemed that the earliest instances of decorative black sulfides o...

CRC Press eBooks, May 10, 2023

Over the last two decades, together with the increasing prices in the antique market and the prol... more Over the last two decades, together with the increasing prices in the antique market and the proliferation of private ‘hobby collectors’, the number of fakes in circulation among antique shops, auctions and even institutions and museums has noticeably increased. So called ‘bronzes’ seem to be the favourite objects for both fakers and inexperienced collectors. In some cases the fakes are well made, so that often the professional can be fooled by them also. In this paper some examples of modern and ancient fake objects will be discussed.

Historical metallurgy, May 30, 2023

This paper discusses several aspects of Roman Metallurgy in the large area between Oriental Alps ... more This paper discusses several aspects of Roman Metallurgy in the large area between Oriental Alps and Pannonian Plain, metal workshops, the identification of workshop production, specialization, mass production, and the evolution of copper alloys in Roman times.

Revue d'Égyptologie, 1997

Les textes du Moyen Empire citent plusieurs varietes de cuivre, mais aucun texte de cette epoque ... more Les textes du Moyen Empire citent plusieurs varietes de cuivre, mais aucun texte de cette epoque n'evoque le 'cuivre noir' hmty km. Neanmoins, les analyses les plus recentes ont demontre que les Egyptiens de la fin du Moyen Empire connaissaient deja le 'cuivre noir' particulier au monde ancien, un materiau souvent identifie a tort comme le niello par les historiens modernes. Le 'cuivre noir' serait un alliage a base de cuivre, qui contiendrait de petites quantites d'or, d'argent et souvent d'arsenic, et qui acquerrait une patine noire apres traitement chimique. Cette contribution met l'accent sur les resultats de ces analyses et les met en rapport avec les mentions du 'cuivre noir' dans les textes egyptiens des epoques posterieures.

In the long history of metallurgy some information on the use of alum in several ancient metallur... more In the long history of metallurgy some information on the use of alum in several ancient metallurgical processes can be found in the few ancient texts which discuss such topics, however not all of them are clear and the interpretation of some passages can be problematic. In this paper some examples of metallurgical processes and treatments, involving the use of alum will be discussed and illustrated, where possible, by observations on analysed objects. Some of the ancient texts, such as Pliny...

Acta Musei Napocensis. I, Preistorie, istorie veche, arheologie, 2008

Advances in archaeomaterials, Dec 1, 2020

Abstract This paper presents an overview of techniques employed in antiquity—in different regions... more Abstract This paper presents an overview of techniques employed in antiquity—in different regions and at different times—for decorating metals by plating or applying surface treatments. Quite often the intention was to disguise metals and alloys to give the impression of better-quality materials. In other cases, the treatments produced special decorative effects and unusual colors. This paper deals with plating with gold and silver, various methods of gilding and silvering, depletion of gold and silver, and different kinds of artificial patination on various copper-based alloys. The best-known artificially patinated alloys are certainly shakudo-type alloys—that is, black-patinated copper-based alloys containing small amounts of gold and often silver and other metals. These alloys are inlaid with precious metals of contrasting colors and have been discovered in various archaeological contexts and historical times. Several other patinated alloys of various colors, including red, yellow, brown, orange, and olive, often rather similar to Japanese irogane (the word means “colored metal”), have been identified in recent times. The ancient methods of patination of iron will be briefly discussed. Ancient texts related to surface treatments will be commented upon.

Publications de l’Institut national d’histoire de l’art eBooks, 2012

Journal of historical archaeology & anthropological sciences, 2018

Eight years after the 2009 special issue on “Manufacturing techniques from Prehistory to the Rena... more Eight years after the 2009 special issue on “Manufacturing techniques from Prehistory to the Renaissance”, that covered more materials, from stone, to glass, painting, metals and ceramics, archeology has been once again guest of the Journal Materials and Manufacturing Processes. The 2017 special issue is entirely dedicated to various “Aspects of Ancient Metallurgy”, from the mining of ores, through smelting, distribution, workshops, finished products and special technologies and finishing of objects. The essays in this volume highlight the production and processing of metals through the ages, from the beginning of metallurgy to medieval times, and covers various regions, from Portugal to the UK, from Italy to Central Europe, to the Near East, Africa, India and South America. Since at least three decades scientific analyses are regular and integral part of archaeological research, while before analytical programs existed, but were the exception. Nevertheless, there are now cases in which some kind of analytical work is carried out just because having analytical data attached to a paper as an appendix is “fashionable” and seems to be a must for the modern archaeologist, but these studies are often without plan and certainly not a relevant research. The papers collected in this issue focus on finds and objects in context, as cultural documentation and key for the understanding of the metallurgical techniques of a period. For these studies the authors used manifold approaches, thus comparing previous analyses and reading ancient texts, applying anthropological examination and detective work, as well as, obviously, analytical methods.

The tasks and problems, which the study of ancient artefacts involves, are complex and manifold a... more The tasks and problems, which the study of ancient artefacts involves, are complex and manifold and almost as numerous, as the different materials and objects, studied by modern specialists. This happens especially because the conditions of the artefacts depends on ...

Advances in archaeomaterials, Jul 1, 2023

Surface Engineering, Oct 1, 2005

Abstract A number of archaeological copper based objects, presenting tin rich layers on the surfa... more Abstract A number of archaeological copper based objects, presenting tin rich layers on the surface, dated to different periods and coming from very different geographical contexts in the Ancient World, are discussed in this paper. The different reasons for the presence of tin rich layers on the surface of ancient items have been discussed before. However, new analyses of archaeological objects now offer data on the early use of tinning, on the use of high tin alloys for distinctive objects in the Bronze Age and of the use of special surface treatments employed in antiquity, which might give new insights into the early history of metallurgy and new elements for the identification of trade routes. A surface treatment, possibly employed in Roman times, is also discussed.

Skillfully Crafted Bronze Basins from the Northwest Treasury at Knossos, 2022

The Journal of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences, Mar 1, 2019

Archeometriai műhely, 2023

Краткие сообщения Института археологии (КСИА)

CRC Press eBooks, May 10, 2023

Historical metallurgy, May 30, 2023

Revue d'Égyptologie, 1997

Acta Musei Napocensis. I, Preistorie, istorie veche, arheologie, 2008

Advances in archaeomaterials, Dec 1, 2020

Publications de l’Institut national d’histoire de l’art eBooks, 2012

Journal of historical archaeology & anthropological sciences, 2018

Advances in archaeomaterials, Jul 1, 2023

Surface Engineering, Oct 1, 2005

The investigations and XRF and SEM-EDS analyses carried out on the gold fragments indicate that t... more The investigations and XRF and SEM-EDS analyses carried out on the gold fragments indicate that the material is a gold-sil- ver-copper alloy. The SEM micrographs show the imprints of the skin employed in the production of the gold sheet. Traces of tiny particles embedded in the gold have been identified as very fine clay, spread on the skin to avoid the adhesion of the gold. One side of the gold sheet is opaque, with traces of or- ganic materials such as beeswax and/or vegetable resins. We suggest that this was the material employed for fixing the sheet while polishing it. The strip was cut with a chisel blade and some regular tears on the sides and a small intact hole indicate that the strip was stitched on a fabric as decoration. The other side is polished and shiny and on it some small quartz-like parti- cles have been identified. Their shape and size suggest that they are organic and come from plants (such as equisetum or husks) used for the polishing of the sheet. To our knowledge these materials have never been identified before on ancient pieces of gold. This examination allows us to reconstruct the entire Middle Bronze Age production process of gold sheet.

Three bronze statuettes belonging to the collection of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale at Parma,... more Three bronze statuettes belonging to the collection of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale at Parma, have recently been re-examined. They all come from the old excavations of Veleia, a small Roman town in the Apennines, South of Piacenza and Parma. The archaeological researches on the site were promoted in 1760 by the Duke of Parma, don Filippo di Borbone, in the area next to the church of Sant’Antonino di Macinesso, after the discovery - in 1746 - of the bronze fragments of the well-known Tabula alimentaria.This find brought eventually to the identification of the area as the long lost municipium Veleiatium. Remarkable artifacts, such as the statuette of the so-called “drunken Hercules”, came to light already during the first excavation campaign. After the discovery, the three items - Hercules, Dionysos and Alexander (all around 25 cm high) – underwent several restorations and were exhibited to the public in different ways. The most recent exhibition dates to 2012. The three statuettes are well known to scholars. The collaboration between the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell’Emilia Romagna, the Centre d’étude des Mondes Antiques of the Université catholique de Louvain and AGM Archeoanalisi allows now to reconstruct the context of the finds through a thorough documentary study of the old excavation, to discuss the historical and artistic peculiarities, and to present the compositional data, the production stages and the ancient restorations, determined by XRF analyses and microscopy.

Metal plating and Patination, 1993

Dstinctive and highly prized black-patinated bronzes inlaid with precious metals are known from a... more Dstinctive and highly prized black-patinated bronzes inlaid with precious metals are known from a number of early cultures. This was the first paper announcing the discovery of shakudo-like alloys in the West, together with the volume "Corinthium aes, das schwarze Gold der Alchimisten".

Three bronze statuettes in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale of Parma, found in Veleia, a Roman to... more Three bronze statuettes in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale of Parma, found in Veleia, a Roman town South of Piacenza, were recently re-examined. The statuettes, portraying Hercules, Dionysus and Alexander (all ca. 25 cm high), underwent several restorations and are well known to scholars. The collaboration between the Centre d’Étude des Mondes Antiques of the Université catholique de Louvain, the Soprintendenza per i Beni archeologici dell’Emilia Romagna and AGM Archeoanalisi allows the reconstruction of the context and production technology, as well as a discussion of the historical and artistic peculiarities of these pieces.
Key words: statuettes, bronze, composition, XRF, copies

ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI PREISTORIA E PROTOSTORIA - LI RIUNIONE SCIENTIFICA Italia tra Mediterraneo e... more ISTITUTO ITALIANO
DI PREISTORIA E PROTOSTORIA - LI RIUNIONE SCIENTIFICA
Italia tra Mediterraneo ed Europa:
mobilità, interazioni e scambi
FORLÌ, 12-15 OTTOBRE 2016

The gold bust of Septimius Severus Gold and silver busts of Roman emperors With contributions b... more The gold bust of Septimius Severus
Gold and silver busts of Roman emperors
With contributions by Alessandra Giumlia-Mair and photographs by Thanos Kartsoglou.

Preserved intact, the gold bust of Emperor Septimius Severus from northern Greece is an outstanding example of Roman Imperial portrait art. It is one of just six emperors’ likenesses in gold that are known from Antiquity.

Together with the famous gold bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius from Avenches, it is probably the most important example of an artistic genre that must have been much more prevalent in Antiquity and that, in a manner of speaking, acted as a portable substitute for the emperor at religious ceremonies, in the army or as part of official acts.

The bust was discovered by chance more than 50 years ago. This makes it all the more remarkable that it has remained almost completely unpublished until now. Much credit is due to Dr. Anne de Pury-Gysel for securing permission from the Greek Office of Antiquities to study the original gold bust and publish a monograph devoted to it. It also highlights the scientific renown she has attained thanks to her vast research experience.

La giornata di studi internazionale tenutasi a Sanzeno il 1° maggio 2010 e dedicata agli “Antichi... more La giornata di studi internazionale tenutasi a Sanzeno il 1° maggio 2010 e dedicata agli “Antichi popoli delle Alpi” ha costituito un’importante occasione per l’aggiornamento e l’approfondimento delle conoscenze relative alla seconda età del Ferro grazie ai risultati delle più recenti ricerche condotte in territorio alpino centro-orientale.
Come ricordato da più autori in questo volume, la ricerca archeologica ha permesso di identificare a livello di cultura materiale quell’insieme di popolazioni che le fonti di epoca romana hanno indicato con il nome di Reti.
Si tratta di comunità insediate in un territorio montuoso, che nonostante la struttura morfologica si è sempre configurato non solo come importante via di comunicazione ma anche come luogo di incontro tra popoli e culture.
Al quadro riduttivo che vedeva nei Reti una popolazione posta alla periferia dei grandi protagonisti della Protostoria recente, quali ad esempio Veneti, Celti ed Etruschi, si contrappone sempre di più l’immagine di una realtà circoscritta a livello territoriale ma notevolmente dinamica e aperta alle influenze provenienti dagli ambiti culturali limitrofi, che vengono sistematicamente rielaborate al fine di adattarle ai gusti e alle tradizioni locali.
I contributi di questo volume si caratterizzano per la ricchezza di nuovi dati provenienti dagli abitati, non più semplici “villaggi” ma ormai centri complessi dislocati spesso lungo importanti vie di comunicazione e di scambio e articolati a livello spaziale in diverse aree funzionali: zone “artigianali”, spazi prettamente residenziali e luoghi di culto.
Nella pianificazione e nella costruzione di questi insediamenti venivano utilizzati saperi, probabilmente già antichi, che testimoniano una profonda conoscenza dell’ambiente circostante, delle dinamiche naturali che caratterizzavano i contesti nei quali si sceglieva di insediarsi, delle migliori tecniche costruttive (con il probabile utilizzo di unità metriche ricorrenti) e dei materiali da costruzione più adatti.
Queste comunità della seconda età del Ferro denotano dunque un elevato livello culturale arricchito dai contatti con le altre popolazioni alpine e con i Veneti, gli Etruschi e i Celti, come testimoniato da importanti scoperte sia epigrafiche sia archeologiche.
Viene così delineandosi un articolato quadro nel quale le specificità locali si arricchiscono di elementi alloctoni, riconducibili alla presenza di genti “straniere” oppure alla condivisione di elementi culturali, sia a livello di “sentire” religioso che di conoscenze prettamente tecnologiche, a testimonianza della profondità e dell’impatto di queste relazioni.
L’incontro di Sanzeno ha permesso inoltre di far conoscere importanti novità concernenti i territori vicini (quali gli attuali Veneto e Friuli Venezia Giulia) che vanno a integrare le conoscenze indispensabili alla comprensione delle dinamiche di interazione avvenute tra il mondo centro-alpino e questi ambiti geografici.
Al termine di questa “fatica” non ci rimane che esprimere un formale ma sincero rigraziamento a tutti i colleghi che hanno contribuito a rendere possibile la pubblicazione di questo volume, e in particolare ai colleghi dell’Ufficio beni archeologici che hanno profuso un impegno che va al di la dei propri compiti professionali.
ROSA RONCADOR e FRANCO NICOLIS
Soprintendenza per i Beni architettonici e archeologici
Ufficio Beni archeologici
Provincia autonoma di Trento

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PROCEEDINGS of the 5th International Conference „Archaeometallurgy in Europe” 19-21 June 2019 Miskolc, Hungary, 2021

The conference at Miskolc was the fifth of a series that begun in Milan in 2003, followed in 2007... more The conference at Miskolc was the fifth of a series that begun in Milan in 2003, followed in 2007 by the conference in Aquileia, both in Italy. The third was held at Bochum, in Germany, in 2011 and the fourth at Madrid, Spain, in 2015. The special aim of our 2019 conference was that of emphasizing and strengthening the interdisciplinary character and the various activities in the field of archaeometallurgy and widening the focus towards Eastern Europe.

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