Oberfläche, Werkspuren, Tauschierung: Ästhetische Metallbearbeitungstechniken der frühen Bronzezeit im Zusammenhang mit dem Hortfund von Nebra (original) (raw)
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H. Meller and F. Bertemes (eds.), Der Griff nach den Sternen. Wie Europas Eliten zu Macht und Reichtum kamen. Internationales Symposium in Halle (Saale), 16.–21. Februar 2005, Tagungen des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte Halle (Halle [Saale]) 751–778, 2010
Geometrical, ornamental and pictorial decorations are to be found on a variety of metal objects of the Early Bronze Age north of the Alps. They were applied to the objects by means of various techniques, mostly to enhance their visual appearance. Besides frequently used decorating techniques, there are also those which are considered exotic in the metallurgical industries of the middle, west and north-European Bronze Age as they are only represented by few finds or their actual use of the technique is even open to question. Amongst these are the decorating techniques of damascening, patination and arsenation; the last two named processes were used to change the colour of the surface. Starting with the Nebra hoard and further Early Bronze Age objects, these techniques have been investigated by experimental and archaeo-metallurgical research. The aim is to reconstruct their application and artistic use. Especially important knowledge has been gained about the technique of damascening. The technical possibilities for the application of Bronze Age patination can be gained experimentally, but they cannot be necessarily proved on objects themselves. The same applies to arsenation. On the other hand it becomes clear that many linear decoration schemes on Bronze Age objects are created by chasing and not through casting or engraving.
The presented work primarily focuses on both the damascene and patination technique which are archaeometallurgically treated within the framework of the Bronze Age north of the Alps. The aspect of patination is here perceived as a pure artificial procedure. On the one hand the investigation should reveal how damascenings were realized on bronze objects and if the observations provide evidence for clarifying the provenance of the rarely used inlay technique – a major question that is still unsolved. On the other hand authentic methods are to be examined in detail that once presumably allowed the patination of prehistoric damascened items for enhancing the weak color contrasts between base metals and inlays. First of all the study shows that metal inserts were not used frequently throughout the whole Bronze Age and in the different areas north of the Alps. There were longer gaps between the various stages of the era. In contrast platings as a special form of damascening (»surface damascening «) were applied continuously since period Montelius II, yet this decoration is only a characteristic feature for the Nordic circle that was not adopted in southern regions. Using only electron as decoration metal throughout the entire Bronze Age platings differ from damascenings with metal inlays (»inlaid damascening«) in another point that besides gold or electron they mainly availed of unalloyed copper. Later the spectrum of inlaid damascenings was enlarged by pewter, bronze, and iron. The investigation demonstrates furthermore that the cavities for inlays on most objects were already designed prior casting. However, multiple evidence is found for reworking cast grooves. Only in some cases the grooves were made exclusively by chasing or engraving. For Late Bronze Age artifacts it becomes clear on account of stylistic and technical characteristics that the metal inlay technique was practiced only by few workshops, nevertheless probably having influenced each other. Such considerations are much more difficult to proof for the Early and Middle Bronze Age as there are less damascened pieces. Yet, similar decoration patterns and techniques suggest interactions between single craftsmen or workshops. Unfortunately, the provenance of the damascene technique still remains unclear despite this new investigation. Though, it is at least unlikely that the polychrome decoration was directly adopted from Mediterranean or even Greek prototypes, but the stimulations rather have to be searched in the Carpathian region. Finally, also a selfcontained development somewhere in Central or Northern Europe cannot be completely ruled out. On the basis of patination experiments it can be shown that in fact human urine is suitable for coloration of damascened objects with copper inlays. Ideally, the medium produces purple-black patinas on unalloyed copper while the addition of elements such as tin or arsenic to copper gives somewhat lighter appearances. High concentrations of tin result in light yellow or slightly green-gray coatings. Even these colors may have been desired in prehistory on tin bronzes as they perfectly contrast with purple-blackish patinated copper inlays. The investigated method therefore emerges as a possible and formerly neglected way for patinating many damascenings of the Bronze Age north of the Alps. For this, however, some preconditions have to be fulfilled which are discussed in detail in the following work.
UNIVERSITÄTSFORSCHUNGEN ZUR PRÄHISTORISCHEN ARCHÄOLOGIE. Bronze Age Hillforts between Taunus and Carpathian Mountains, 2018
Der Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit dem gegenwärtigen Stand der Quellenanlage in der Beziehung zu der Organisationsystem der Bronzemetallurgie in drei Regionen mit dem verschiedenen metallurgischen Bild (West-, Süd- und Nordwestböhmen). Die Untersuchung des Organisationssystems der Metallurgie versucht Fragen nach Umfang und Intensität der metallurgischen Aktivitäten in Makro-, Mezzo- und Mikroraum, Peripherie-, Zentral und Spezialherstellungstendenzen, Bindung zu potenziellen Rohmaterialquellen, Platzierung in der Besiedlungsstruktur und Art der Fundkontexte zu beantworten.
Hightech und Herme Die antike Herstellungstechnik von Bronzestatuen mit modernen Methoden betrachtet
2006
Moderne Analysemethoden, wie beispielsweise die Computertomographie, die ursprünglich für rein industrielle Zwecke für die Materialprüfung entwickelt wurden, werden etwa seit den 80iger Jahren vielfach zur Untersuchung von antiken Bronzestatuen eingesetzt. Fragen zu Herstellungstechniken standen und stehen dabei oftmals im Vordergrund. Der rasch voranschreitende Vorschritt auf diesem Gebiet ermöglicht immer detailreichere Einblicke in verlorengegangene Techniken. Archäologen und Restauratoren, die sich vornehmlich mit diesen Fragestellungen beschäftigen, ist es dank dieser technologischen Entwicklung möglich immer detailreichere Informationen zu den Stücken zu erlangen. Daher sind solche Verfahren mittelweile fester Bestandteil der Archäologischen Forschung.
Metall in Form – Neue Funde zur bronzezeitlichen Metallverarbeitung aus Mitteldeutschland.
In: Meller, H. (Hrsg.): Der geschmiedete Himmel – Die weite Welt im Herzen Europas vor 3600 Jahren (Stuttgart 2004), 110-113., 2004
authors: H. Heilmann / T. Schunke Rotta, Lkr. Wittenberg, Schackstedt, Lkr. Salzlandkreis, späte Bronzezeit, Lausitzer Kultur, Metallurgie, Gießformen, Düsen, Stabbarren, Kupferbarren, Hortfund Late Bronze Age, Lusatian Culture, metallurgy, moulds, tuyères, stick ingots, ingots of copper, hoard
2015
As part of an interdisciplinary research project on the early Bronze Age hoard from Nebra and its cultural and economic context, two eight-edged swords of the Middle Bronze Age are examined from a technological perspective. The reason for this was the striking inlay technique on the pommel plates of both swords, which was strongly reminiscent of the inlays on the swords of the Nebra hoard. On the basis of scientific analysis this paper demonstrates that these inlays are of copper and therefore the studied old finds are, contrary to previous understandings, also decorated with an inlay technique known as damascening. This brings the total number of middle Bronze Age finds with metal inlays in Central Europe from three to at least five examples now. Additionally, in this context, the manufacturing technique of the swords is reconstructed using radiographs and set in relation to other eight-edged swords.