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In spite of the very large quantity of bronze age swords in Northern Italy, only few stone moulds have been found. In effect we have tested that carving such big stone moulds (more than 60 cm long) requires a big amount of raw material, deep knowledges and skills, rather than a wide set of implements. It has also been proved exprimentally that long sandstone moulds for swords, especially on blade details, are affected by fragility of the material itself, when stone comes in contact with the flowing melted bronze. For these reasons, this could mean that they were made in other materials and through other techniques, which did not leave any visible (or identified?) trace on metallurgical sites. A team of archaeologist and craftmen is now working on other methods, which will be presented in this paper.
2021 •
Two Venetian types of swords coming from the “Luigi Marzoli” Arms Museum in Brescia were characterized in this study, to understand their manufacturing process and to gather information about their provenance. Both the blades and the hilts components are analyzed using a multi-methodological approach, to describe possible differences in the metallurgical features that involved classical metallographic and spectroscopic techniques. Microstructural results indicate a complex process for the manufacturing of the blades, by hot-forging, confirmed by a sequence of different microstructures even on the same sample. Furthermore, an interesting and unusual manufacturing technique is used on one of the pommels, which consists of two hemispheres connected by copper joints. Hypothesis about the ironmaking and the provenience of raw materials are obtained by the features and composition of the inclusions. It is suggested that there is the use of both a direct and an indirect process on the swor...
Reproductions of artifacts represent statements of what we know about them, and can be used to answer questions through experimentation and contextual considerations. Reproduction of a bronze sword from the Thames is used as an example. Detailed archaeological evidence is used to replicate a plausible hilt form, and evaluate the construction of such swords.
During the period directly after the end of the Second World War, our past and especially the Bronze Age was interpreted as a rather peaceful period. Archaeological evidence of warfare and combat was ignored or, in the case of arms and armour , interpreted as symbolic weapons, not intended for actual use. During the last 15 years this point of view has changed – at least regarding weapons. Traces of use-wear on swords and spearheads, impacts of weapons on bones and of course fortified settlements were interpreted as what they are – evidence of combat and fighting. However, questions remain as to how these arms and armour were produced and by whom, as well as to why different types of e.g. swords were produced. In this work, the manufacture, development and usage of Central European Bronze Age swords will be discussed, showing the close interaction between craftsman and warrior . As a basis, 80 swords, mainly from Austria, but also from Hungary, Italy, Slovenia and the Ukraine, were analysed. To discover more information about the manufacture and usage of these swords, the alloy composition, the post-casting treatment and the casting quality were analysed using various methods such as SEM, EMPA, XRF, NRCA, x-ray, ToF-ND, 3D-Ct, metallographic analyses and visual examinations of the swords’ surfaces.
Any reproduction of an ancient object requires imaginative reconstruction of the original appearance. Sometimes this is to make statements: What we believe it was like. Even 2-D and other 'lower level' reconstructions require answering questions, using evidence, making interpretive decisions. More complex reconstructions, here a Bronze Age sword, lead to experimentation as well, and serve both to present our statements and to ask and answer some questions about the past.
In: Exotica in the Prehistoric Mediterranean, ed. A Vianello (Oxford: Oxbow)
Prestige swords of the Bronze Age2011 •
Experiencing visible and invisible metal casting techniques in the Bronze Age Italy, in Proceeding of the OpenArch Meeting Working with stones in European Pre- and Protohistory in theory and in practice", Albersdorf, 23-27 september 2013.
Experiencing visible and invisible metal casting techniques in the Bronze Age ItalyWhat we know about bronze age metalworking basically relies on finished artifacts and on stone, clay or bronze implements involved in the process of manufacturing (tuyères, crucibles, moulds, hammers, chisels, etc.). Moreover, evidences of structures for casting are extremely poor, at least in Italy, likely because of a lack of extensive excavations and the difficulty to clearly distinguish them from other kinds of firing structures, in absence of metalworking residuals. The reconstruction of the whole technology of production therefore requires a strong effort of making and testing hypothesis, referring not only on autoptic observations on archaeological finds, but also on archaeometrical analysis and study of landscape, in order to identify possible sources of supply of raw materials. In this work our aim is to deepen some aspects concerning archaeologically “visible” (stone mould production and casting), and “invisible” techniques (sword production) of metalworking in bronze age Italy, focussing on terramare area.
2020 •
Chemistry Central journal
Rings or daggers, axes or fibulae have a different composition? A multivariate study on Central Italy bronzes from eneolithic to early iron age2015 •
One of the main concerns for archaeo-metallurgists and archaeologists is to determine to what extent ancient craftsmen understood the effect of metal alloy composition and were able to control it in order to produce objects with the most suitable features. This problem can be investigated by combining compositional analyses of a high number of ancient artefacts with correlation analyses of the objects' age, production site, destination of usage etc. - and thus chemometric data treatment is carried out. In this study, multivariate analyses were performed on a matrix composed of elemental compositional data from 134 archaeological bronze objects, obtained by XRF analyses. Analysed objects have been dated back from the Eneolithic Period to the end of the Bronze Age including the early Iron Age and were excavated in Central Italy (mainly Abruzzo Region). Chemometric analysis was performed attempting to visualise clouds of objects through PCA. In parallel and independently, object gr...
Análisis Plural
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