Corinthian Bronze: Famous, but Elusive

Pitfalls and Possibilities of Patinated Bronze: The Analysis of Pre-Roman Italian Armour Using pXRF

“…The cluster assays can also help to reveal modern interventions. On item VG013, a heavily reconstructed shield from tomb 871 of the Casale del Fosso necropolis at Veii, individual (6,(13)(14)(15)(16) and cluster assays (1-5) revealed a markedly different material, featuring much higher levels of Pb and much lower levels of Sn, from that measured by most of the various single assays (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)17) taken at other points on the artefact (Figure 4). This particular area encompassed by assays 1-5 was targeted for a cluster of assays as it appeared to be, from an initial visual examination, a roughly representative section of the artefact.…”

“…Given the generally accepted cultural significance of weapons and armour within the societies of the ancient Mediterranean during the first millennium BCE (e.g., [1,2]), it is perhaps surprising that the actual physical properties of weapon and armour finds from this region and period remain largely unexplored by modern scholars. Although long studied for their stylistic and artistic merits, very few analyses have been conducted on the physical nature and composition of equipment finds from the ancient Mediterranean during the first millennium BCE beyond the recording of their basic dimensions and the identification of material used, which are typically described as simply 'bronze' or 'iron' (e.g., [3][4][5]; notable exceptions include [6,7], see [8] for discussion, and more recent work [9]). This is despite the fact that the ancient literary sources themselves explicitly discuss the use of different types of alloys in the production of items-most notably Pliny (esp.…”

Warfare, Weather, and the Politics of Grain Shortage in the Early 2nd c. BC Achaian League

“…165 Hellmann 2000, 268-80;Feyel 2006, 348, 350-2, 354-5, 365-6. Corinth: Zimmerman Munn 1983Salmon 1984, 117-28;Mattusch 2003. Argos: Tomlinson 1972, 70-4, 221-61.…”