Gaming pieces, pads or ... anything else? Late Bronze Age ceramic discs in the light of experimental research Hrací kameny, podložky nebo… něco jiného? Keramické kotouče z pozdní doby bronzové z pohledu experimentální archeologie (original) (raw)
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Advances in historical studies, 2024
Discs were made of bronze, bronze/iron or iron, and for centuries, they were used by all the Italic protohistorical cultures. Considered a single class of materials, for a long time, they were misconstrued as a whole, as components of armour; on the contrary, contextual discs with concentric decoration, where gender is recognizable, come from feminine burials. Research explores dynamics related to production, use and management of discs, alongside relations between production centres, local workshops, and technological changes from bronze to iron and vice versa. All 50 discs are sporadic, but the 60% of them indicate Fucino as provenience. This research proposes a diachronic analysis exploring the hypothesis that discs with concentric decoration have both independent origins and different functions from either armour pectorals or figurative samples. Discs with concentric decoration belong to a feminine sphere and, in order to process them in all these aspects, the dress code has been investigated through the study of decorations and suspension systems. About 25% of discs were repaired in the past. Therefore, particular attention was given to chemical compositions and technologies of the various constituent elements or parts of reparation, in order to compare data both inside the same disc or among those showing similar interventions: 1) Methodology and discussion; 2) Quantification of findings and data statistical treatment; 3) Technological and traceological analysis, by stereo Optical Microscope (80×); 4) Chemical characterization, by portable ED-XRF.
Manufacture of Eastern European decorative tin–bronze discs from twelfth century BC
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2012
During the European Bronze Age, flat discs with a variety of decorative elements were produced to be used most likely as either decoration attached to clothing or as parts of horse harnesses. The size and decoration differ according to region and period. The discs discussed here were all found in hoards deposited in a rather short period around 1200-1100BC in Croatia, Bosnia and Austria. They were analysed to obtain information about their composition and manufacture, both of which may have changed in relation to increasing distance from the centre of distribution or supposed production as a result of copying, or might not have changed significantly if the discs were imported.
Archaeometry, 2024
Ceramic moulds are regarded as highly specialised, refractory tools used in metallurgy, yet their production process still needs clarification. Our research aimed to characterise the stages of operational chains applied in mould manufacture. The evidence comes from the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age lake settlement in Grzybiany in SW Poland, dated to 9/8th–5th century BCE. The site provided rich data on tin-bronze metallurgy, chiefly the lost-wax technique, involving hundreds of broken and complete ceramic moulds. Multifaceted petrographic analyses of the sampled objects demonstrated that they were made from locally accessible raw material and processed entirely differently from other ceramics from the site. The paste was tempered with fine-grained sand and an exceptional amount of organic material, plastic enough to wrap wax models. This proportion of organic temper did not occur in regular kitchenware of this period. The moulds were fired under well-controlled conditions and relatively high temperatures (700–950C). Through this sequence of operations, the Grzybiany community obtained high-quality products designed specifically for metallurgical purposes.
Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad de Granada (29), 2019
This paper presents a small assemblage of pointed objects associated with the Early Bronze Age Mierzanowice culture of south-eastern Poland. The artefacts originate from the multicultural cemetery of Kichary Nowe and were found in male and female graves. They have been traditionally referred to as pins or needles. To establish their function, use-wear methodology was employed. Based on differing microwear patterns, it was inferred that artefacts with wide and flat perforated heads are in fact implements used for working fibrous materials (e.g. textile production or basket making), hence the strong striations visible on the surface. On the other hand, objects such as the ornamented pin with an L-perforated head, functioned as elements of clothing, used to fasten outer garments. Both categories were personal objects of everyday use, closely connected to their owners. Based on limited contextual data, it can be further inferred that ornamented pins were part of the costume of prominent adult members of the Mierzanowice culture society. Thanks to the applied functional approach, it was possible to go beyond classic typology and suggest new ways of thinking about this broad category of artefacts.
Archeologické rozhledy, 2020
The article aims to present the results of the analysis of eight Neolithic ceramic figurines from the Lengyel culture settlement Těšetice-Kyjovice – Sutny, Czech Republic. We indicated the possibilities for acquiring analytical data, although destructive methods were unacceptable. We included methods neglected to date, but widely available in the common archaeological laboratory. Information on the composition of the ceramic matrix, the provenance of inclusions, the techniques used for shaping, firing, operating and discarding are all of key importance for advancing the discussion on the interpretational potential of ceramic anthropomorphic figurines from typological and religionist discourses to analytically-focused discussions supported by hard data. Two serious factors have thus far prevented the widespread use of analytical methods: the destructive nature of the evidential analyses, which is contradictory to heritage protection and general awareness of the value and rarity of such finds. The second factor relates to the prohibitive cost of analyses when applied to a statistically robust number of samples. On the other hand, in the absence of broad mapping of measurable data, we will remain dependent on only individually published analyses of isolated samples, typically from a different culture, period or geographical territory. We believe the use of non- and semi-destructive methods offers a solution. With the aim of achieving the lowest destructive impact, we conducted an analysis of eight ceramic figurines by use-wear analysis, high resolution 3D analysis, portable-X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) measurements and microscopy of polished sections.
"In this paper, I survey archaeological evidence for deliberate deposits mostly containing ceramic vessels but also stones and animal bones. They were discovered at a Late Bronze Age settlement, dated to the 9th-8th centuries, situated in the northern part of the contemporary city of Wrocław in southwestern Poland. Their stratigraphical contexts indicate that their deposition took place at the very end of the use of the site, i.e. after the accumulation of the thick occupational layers. Based on the fine preservation of the vessels and their distribution, I argue that they are remains of practices performed in a common settlement area, resulting in the deposition of used ceramics. I also refer to a broad concept of the notion of ‘pottery deposits’ and compare the presented evidence with similar finds from other sites with a similar chronology."