Copper-alloy use in a Tyrrhenian medieval town: The case of Leopoli-Cencelle (Italy)

Asinelli, M. Gaudenzi; Martinón‐Torres, Marcos

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2015.09.023

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Aerial view (A), and detail of an archaeological area of the excavation (B) Fig. 3 A selected group of metals analysed in this paper a certain threshold is usually based on arbitrary options made by each researcher [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. In order to better sort the collected data, we adopted the alloy nomenclature used in the analysis of a fourteenth century AD collection of metals from a Parisian workshop [21], in turn adapted from Bayley [12].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to technological issues (low iron concentration), two other points seem to be in favour of the use of sphalerite as a zinc ore. Firstly, although more common in eastern Mediterranean, the use of sphalerite is not unprecedent in medieval European metallurgy. A collection of metals from Leopoli-Cencelle (central Italy), contemporary with the objects from Mértola analysed here, were recently analysed and the data, characterised by a moderate Zn amount and the reduced levels of Fe, Sn, and Pb, were considered compatible with the use of sphalerite [20]. At the same time, the concentration of iron in Mértola's metal objects is much lower than, for example, iron in an assemblage of copper-based artefacts from a fourteenth century AD Parisian workshop recently analysed, where this element is much higher, pointing out for the use of smithsonite as the zinc ore [21].…”

Section: Brass and Leaded Brassmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the same time, the composition of Islamic brasses from al-Andalus, where Islamic tradition might have been expected to exercise some influence in the production of metals, seems to be very close to contemporary European brasses. For example, this is the case with metal collections from NW Europe [56,57], France [21], and Italy [20], among others. The data from Mértola points out, for the first time, some differences in the iron content, likely due to the use of local available sphalerite.…”

Section: Mértola Within the Islamic Copper-based Metalwork From The 1...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Islamic copper-based metal artefacts from the Garb al-Andalus. A multidisciplinary approach on the Alcáçova of Mārtulah (Mértola, South of Portugal)

et al. 2022

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A multidisciplinary approach has been applied to investigate the production technology of a collection of copper-based artefacts found during archaeological excavation campaigns carried out in the Almohad neighbourhood of Mārtulah, the Islamic name of modern Mértola (South of Portugal). In stark contrast to other Islamic materials found in the same site such as common and finely decorated pottery, glass, and bone artefacts, metal objects have received less attention despite the high number of artefacts recovered.This study focuses on the chemical characterisation of 171 copper-based artefacts dating back to the 12th and the first half of the thirteenth centuries. The artefacts are daily use objects and consist of personal ornaments (earrings, rings, and casket ornaments), tools (spindles, spatulas, and oil lamp sticks) and artefacts with unknown functions. The analytical results by X-ray fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) provided information not only about technological issues but infer as well on the socio-economic implications of metal consumption in Islamic Mértola. Results revealed that metals were produced using a variety of Cu-based alloys, namely unalloyed copper, brasses (Cu + Zn), bronzes (Cu + Sn), and red brasses (Cu + Sn + Zn), with a variable concentration of Pb, without any apparent consistency, as a likely result of recurrent recycling and mixing scrap metals practices or use of mineral raw materials available locally.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Brass and Leaded Brassmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mértola Within the Islamic Copper-based Metalwork From The 1...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Islamic copper-based metal artefacts from the Garb al-Andalus. A multidisciplinary approach on the Alcáçova of Mārtulah (Mértola, South of Portugal)

et al. 2022

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“…In order to correctly assess the obtained data, we surveyed the literature on bulk vs. surface analysis of copper alloys, focusing especially on XRF analysis of (corroded) surfaces: Dussubieux et al 2008;Epstein et al 2010;Figueiredo et al 2007;Gaudenzi Asinelli and Martinón-Torres 2016;Orfanou and Rehren 2015;Shugar 2013. Orfanou andRehren (2015) measured both the corroded surface and the surface after scraping and compared it to EPMA data.…”

Section: Limitations Of Surface Analysis a Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sasanian copper and billon coins from the collections of the Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels, Belgium—insights using semi-quantitative analysis by μXRF

Ham-Meert

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Gyselen³

et al. 2020

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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This paper presents the micro-XRF analysis of over 100 Sasanian billon and copper coins from the collections of the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, Belgium. This study discovered that some coins, thought to be copper, were actually billon coins. Furthermore, it illustrated the continuity in use and recipe of small copper coins from the Parthian into the Sasanian period. Previous research into the elemental composition of copper coins from the Sasanian period only spanned the period 224-309 CE, while this paper encompasses the whole period until the fall of the empire in 651 CE. The link with lead coins is also discussed.

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“…These analyses lead to question how to interpret the compositions. Whatever the context, when discussing the alloy composition, most archaeometallurgical studies consider composition as the result of choice [32][33][34][35]. It is sometimes even described as "an intentional action determined by human choice" and the result of "a deliberate choice of alloying elements" [36][37][38][39], or of an "alloying strategy" [9,29], referring to an intentional action determined beforehand.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exactly how free? Constrained choices and product ranges of medieval copper-alloy objects found between the Meuse and Loire rivers (9th–16th centuries CE)

2023

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This contribution synthesises the PIXE and ICP-AES elemental analyses carried out on a large dataset, comprising of 300 copper-alloy objects dating mainly to the Late Middle Ages. The objects are drawn from heritage institutions and archaeological contexts in various regions between the Meuse and the Loire rivers (France and Belgium). This investigation focuses on the main elements that make up the alloys (Cu, Zn, Sn, Pb). Past studies have often defined the composition of an alloy as an intentional choice, however in this paper we aim to identify the constraints in alloy manufacture in a bid to understand the degree of freedom enjoyed by craftsmen during this period. We will also evaluate to what degree the constraints imposed by technique, economic conditions and social requirement, affected production in a complex multifactorial system. We have opted to define alloys by object type, functional area and social context, by chronology and product ranges. For cast table- and the kitchenware, we have observed that alloys and the objects are standardised on a trans-regional scale. Conversely, the hammered objects are produced with a greater freedom, leading to a new hypothesis regarding specific workshop practices. Finally, we will propose a predictive model for cast objects that we hope is better suited for the study of heritage objects, their materials and their production processes, to be verified in future studies. This approach emphasises the importance of considering everything that makes an object what it is: its function, status and place in the market, when researching heritage materials.

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Copper-alloy use in a Tyrrhenian medieval town: The case of Leopoli-Cencelle (Italy)

Cited by 4 publications

References 21 publications

Islamic copper-based metal artefacts from the Garb al-Andalus. A multidisciplinary approach on the Alcáçova of Mārtulah (Mértola, South of Portugal)

Islamic copper-based metal artefacts from the Garb al-Andalus. A multidisciplinary approach on the Alcáçova of Mārtulah (Mértola, South of Portugal)

Sasanian copper and billon coins from the collections of the Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels, Belgium—insights using semi-quantitative analysis by μXRF

Exactly how free? Constrained choices and product ranges of medieval copper-alloy objects found between the Meuse and Loire rivers (9th–16th centuries CE)

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