An Iron Age gold torc from Heerlen (prov. Limburg/NL) (original) (raw)

Precious metal torcs from the Iron Age Snettisham Treasure: metallurgy and analysis

, in E. Pernicka & R. Schwab (eds) Under the Volcano: Proceedings of the SMEIA held in Mannheim, Germany, 20-22 April 2010: 135-156, 2014

The Iron Age Snettisham treasure consists of several hoards forming a large assemblage of artefacts including complete gold alloy tubular and twisted wire torcs as well as numerous fragments of broken torcs. These torcs have been the subject of a number of studies and were manufactured using sheets and wires using a range of gold, silver and copper alloys, as well as bronze, and applying a broad selection 􏰛􏰮􏰈􏰧􏰒􏰕􏰚􏰝􏰱􏰛􏰡􏰟􏰑􏰜􏰤􏰈􏰕􏰒􏰗􏰘􏰜􏰑􏱇􏰔􏰒􏰖􏰈􏰚􏰜􏰓􏰈􏰥􏰜􏰑􏰖􏰘􏰑􏰜􏰤􏰈􏰪􏰡􏰛􏰗􏰒􏰖􏰖􏰒􏰖􏰦􏰈􏰼􏰘􏰑􏰖􏰈􏰗􏰛􏰜􏰕􏰡􏰑􏰞􏰔􏰕􏰑􏰛􏰜􏰈􏰛􏰔􏰕􏰝􏰑􏰜􏰒􏰖􏰈􏰕􏰘􏰒􏰈􏰪􏰡􏰒􏰝􏰑􏰧􏰑􏰜􏰚􏰡􏰲􏰈􏰡􏰒􏰖􏰔􏰝􏰕􏰖􏰈 of the archaeometric investigation of a number of the precious metal torcs in the British Museum and 􏰙􏰛􏰡􏰱􏰑􏰗􏰘􏰈 􏰻􏰚􏰖􏰕􏰝􏰒􏰈 􏰾􏰔􏰖􏰒􏰔􏰧􏰈 􏰗􏰛􏰝􏰝􏰒􏰗􏰕􏰑􏰛􏰜􏰖􏰦􏰈 􏰨􏰕􏰈 􏰪􏰡􏰒􏰖􏰒􏰜􏰕􏰖􏰈 􏰕􏰘􏰒􏰈 􏰯􏰶􏰾􏰭􏰶􏰀􏱈􏰈 􏰧􏰑􏰗􏰡􏰛􏰖􏰗􏰛􏰪􏰲􏰈 􏰚􏰜􏰓􏰈 􏰚􏰜􏰚􏰝􏰲􏰖􏰑􏰖􏰈 􏰛􏰮􏰈 􏰚􏰈 􏰡􏰒􏰪􏰡􏰒- sentative number of gold alloy wires and sheets from hoard ‘F’, which contains a large number of broken and cut pieces and appears to cover the range of alloys used in the whole assemblage. This study indicated a wide range of techniques and ternary gold, silver and copper alloys used by the late Iron Age goldsmiths, showing a high level of craftsmanship. Tubular torcs were produced from thin gold sheets while twisted wire torcs were created by twisting together wires in pairs or multiple strands. The wires display a range of different colours produced through deliberate surface treatment during manufacture, resulting in the surface enrichment of gold and silver by the depletion of copper. This was achieved while the wire was being handworked to the desired shape and thickness through repeated cycles of hammering, annealing and pickling in an acidic medium. Some of the sheets studied 􏰖􏰘􏰛􏰱􏰒􏰓􏰈 􏰠􏰚􏰡􏰑􏰚􏰞􏰝􏰒􏰈 􏰞􏰔􏰕􏰈 􏰖􏰑􏰤􏰜􏰑􏰥􏰗􏰚􏰜􏰕􏰝􏰲􏰈 􏰡􏰒􏰓􏰔􏰗􏰒􏰓􏰈 􏰖􏰑􏰝􏰠􏰒􏰡􏰈 􏰗􏰛􏰜􏰗􏰒􏰜􏰕􏰡􏰚􏰕􏰑􏰛􏰜􏰖􏰿􏰈 􏰪􏰛􏰖􏰖􏰑􏰞􏰝􏰲􏰈 􏰡􏰒􏰖􏰔􏰝􏰕􏰑􏰜􏰤􏰈 􏰮􏰡􏰛􏰧􏰈 􏰚􏰈 􏰓􏰑􏰮􏰮􏰒􏰡􏰒􏰜􏰕􏰈 process. All torcs, both tubular and twisted wire, display a variety of terminals. These include bent loop wires and cast-on terminals of the buffer type and of the larger hollow type with Celtic relief motifs. The latter terminals were further embellished with chased, engraved and punched decoration. This paper does not attempt to explain the reasons for the existence of this hoard but illustrates the quality of craftsmanship and the large array of modus operandi used to produce the objects.

Celtic gold torcs – An interdisciplinary and diachronic perspective

B. Török/A. Giumlia-Mair (Hrsg.), Proceedings of the 5th International Conference " Archaeometallurgy in Europe ", 2021. 19-21 June 2019, Miskolc, Hungary. Monogr. Instrumentum 73 (Drémil-Lafage 2021) 417–432., 2021

Experimental and analytical study of gold parting processes used in ancient times 433 New investigations made on the 5 th-century AD horse harnesses from Untersiebenbrunn (Austria) 457 bbiola: Early gombiky archaeological context, function, occurrence, typology, construction, and characterization of materials and manufacturing processes 477

An Early Bronze Age Burial with a Golden Spiral Ring from Ammerbuch-Reusten, Southwestern Germany

Praehistorische Zeitschrift, 2021

A women’s burial of the Early Bronze Age that was uncovered near Ammerbuch-Reusten, Tübingen dis-trict in autumn 2020 shows clear relations to burial rites of the Final Neolithic in central Europe. The only grave good was in the rear of the burial. A small spiral ring made of gold wire at the left side of the burial at hip level, which can be considered to be the earliest securely dated pre-cious metal find in southwestern Germany. The find fits into a small series of early spiral rings made of gold wire, which are among the oldest precious metal finds in central Europe. Its composition with c. 20 % silver and less than 2 % copper as well as traces of platinum and tin indicates the use of a naturally occurring gold alloy, most likely from so-called alluvial deposits obtained by panning from rivers. The trace element pattern strongly suggests that this type of gold derives from Cornwall, specifically from River Carnon. The burial matches a group of other burials from the Bronze Age on the plateau and is apparently related to a hilltop settlement on the nearby Kirchberg of Reusten.

Bronze Age tin rings from the Tollense valley in northeastern Germany

Prähistorische Zeitschrift 87(1), S. 29-43, 2012

Das Tollensetal in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ist in den letzten Jahren durch die Entdeckung zahlreicher Menschenreste, die z.T. Verletzungen zeigen, und zweier Holzkeulen aus der älteren Nordischen Bronzezeit in den Blickpunkt der Forschung gerückt. Die ungewöhnlichen, ca. 3300-3200 Jahre alten Funde konnten auf einer Länge von ca. 1,5 km entlang des Flusses an verschiedenen Stellen nachgewiesen werden. Mit Unterstützung der DFG haben seit dem Sommer 2010 neben Ausgrabungen auch intensive Tauchprospektionen stattgefunden. Dabei ist es gelungen, eine neue Fundkonzentration (Weltzin 32) in einer Tiefe von bis zu ca. 3 m unter Geländeoberfläche im Fluss zu entdecken. Die bislang aus dem Profil geborgenen zahlreichen Menschenreste liegen nicht mehr in korrektem anatomischen Verband und sind in Flusssande eingebettet. Unter schwierigen Bedingungen ist es gelungen, zwischen den Menschenresten auch weitere Funde in der Fundschicht zu lokalisieren. Der Beitrag stellt die ausgezeichnet erhaltene Lokalität mit ihren wichtigsten Funden vor, unter denen zwei kleine Zinnringe ganz besonders hervorzuheben sind. Die Neufunde werfen wiederum die Frage nach dem Entstehungskontext der Fundschicht im Flusstal auf. Die Autoren favorisieren als Ursache für die ausgedehnte Ablagerung der Überreste von mindestens ca. 110 Individuen, die wiederholt mit Pferdeknochen und Waffen / Pfeilspitzen vergesellschaftet sind, Gewaltkonflikte und möglicherweise auch Opferhandlungen.