This thesis presents an investigation into how geopolitical change and religious control are reflected in the composition of copper-alloy costume artefacts, recovered from Roman and early medieval... Show moreThis thesis presents an investigation into how geopolitical change and religious control are reflected in the composition of copper-alloy costume artefacts, recovered from Roman and early medieval contexts. It engages with the challenging topic of portable X-ray Florescence Spectrometry use in archaeology, especially as applied to corroded copper-alloy artefacts. The relevance is twofold. Firstly it helps us better understand the globalising effects of the Roman Empire on distant cultures and the emergence of the western economy after the end of antiquity. This is investigated by detecting changes in craft production, considered a proxy for understanding changes in past economies and societies. Secondly it advances a methodology for the study of copper-alloy objects. Subsequently the composition of Roman brooches from Germania Inferior, suggested a strong link between brass and Roman military production. This connection was also seen in other parts of the Roman world, suggesting a degree of centralisation or control. The earliest roman objects found in the Baltic States, far north of the Limes frontier, are also in this 'Roman' alloy. These objects had a lasting impact on the peoples of this region. They adopted and adapted them stylistically to suit their local preferences for centuries after they first appeared. Show less
Eye brooches are the earliest form of brooch to enter the Eastern Baltic region during the Roman Iron Age. Their form bears strong similarities to those found much further south in Germania and... Show moreEye brooches are the earliest form of brooch to enter the Eastern Baltic region during the Roman Iron Age. Their form bears strong similarities to those found much further south in Germania and the northern Roman provinces, leading to the conclusion that they originally arrived as imports, perhaps by sea from an as yet undiscovered production centre in an area formerly known as East Prussia. In contrast, the eye brooches found within the Germanic areas, north of the Roman frontier, are thought to have originated as export goods produced within the Roman provinces, some distance from the areas in which they are found. Therefore we re-examine the debate surrounding local production versus foreign imports, through an innovative use of pXRF. The study compares compositional data of both imported and locally produced brooches against the current typological framework with the aim to better understand how, where and when they were made. Show less
EARLY MEDIEVAL PINS are found in large quantities on both sides of the North Sea and the English Channel, and as a result are one of the few artefact types that can facilitate the exploration of...Show moreEARLY MEDIEVAL PINS are found in large quantities on both sides of the North Sea and the English Channel, and as a result are one of the few artefact types that can facilitate the exploration of cross-cultural contacts in terms of style, material and manufacture. This paper presents the results of the analyses of two contemporary groups of copper-alloy pins dating from the 7th to the 11th centuries using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. One group of pins considered here was recovered from an excavated Anglo-Saxon settlement at Sedgeford (Norfolk), while the other derives from a coastal settlement at Domburg (Zeeland, the Netherlands). We argue here, on the basis of our results, that while pin production may have been focused around major mercantile, royal or ecclesiastical centres, it was also localised in terms of materials and production methods, suggesting potentially different trajectories in each region for the development and control of specialist production.Show less
Roxburgh, M.A.; Heeren, S.; Huisman, H.; Os, B. van 2018
This paper argues that portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) is a suitable elemental measurement technique to study the production of copper‐alloy artefacts. However, rather than try... Show moreThis paper argues that portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) is a suitable elemental measurement technique to study the production of copper‐alloy artefacts. However, rather than try to imitate the accuracy and precision of laboratory techniques, it is more beneficial to deploy it in a survey role, one that attempts to model chronological and geographical changes within large quantities of artefacts. To achieve this, it was investigated to what extent corrosion and the issues surrounding surface measurements affect the potential of this type of research. Analyses on early Roman period brooches gathered in the Nijmegen region of the Netherlands were subsequently compared with published data. Show less
Roxburgh, M.A.; Ijssennagger, N.L.; Huisman, D.J.; Os, B.J.H. van 2018
We present a combined compositional and typological analysisfor a group of 90 Viking-Age mounts, found in Walcheren, The Netherlands. Thisnew analysis is supported by data gathered using Handheld X... Show moreWe present a combined compositional and typological analysisfor a group of 90 Viking-Age mounts, found in Walcheren, The Netherlands. Thisnew analysis is supported by data gathered using Handheld X-Ray FluorescenceSpectrometry (HHpXRF). The new data sheds light not only on the character of thetechnology available at the time, but also allows us to formulate a newhypothesis of their purpose and cultural associations within a Viking-Age,North Sea world. Similar mounts have been found in other coastal areas of thesouthern North Sea, but not in great numbers, suggesting that production wasmore likely to have been local. Their compositional and typologicalcharacteristics matched those of certain forms of Viking-age equestrian gear,but the relatively small size of these mounts allowed for the possibility thatthese items were more likely used on personal equipment. Although a questionover the exact dating remains, the styles suggest that close ties existedbetween the Frisian, Viking and Anglo-Scandinavian worlds between the 9 thand 11 th centuries. This expression of identity should beconsidered in a context of continued intensive relations between Frisian,Viking and Anglo-Saxon. Show less
Disc brooches of the Roman Iron Age are very diverse in their style and execution throughout all of Europe. The diversity in the tarand cemetery areas of modern day Estonia and north Latvia is... Show moreDisc brooches of the Roman Iron Age are very diverse in their style and execution throughout all of Europe. The diversity in the tarand cemetery areas of modern day Estonia and north Latvia is also very high, with many unique traits being observable as well as some multidirectional influences. Regionality in the tarand cemetery areas is therefore studied through these diverse brooches, to see whether some motifs, subtypes or alloys were more preferred in some areas than in others. A typological and compositional approach is adopted to achieve this. Based on the distribution of certain groups of disc brooches, their surface treatment and direction of influences, two areas come to the fore – north-east Estonia and south-east Estonia together with north Latvia. The study shows how people of the tarand cemetery areas adopted foreign techniques and stylistic features in accordance with local preferences and used them in their local culture. Show less
In this article, aspects of the production and exchange of Carolingian/Ottonian disc brooches are examined through an analysis of 281 brooches selected from collections across The Netherlands. The... Show moreIn this article, aspects of the production and exchange of Carolingian/Ottonian disc brooches are examined through an analysis of 281 brooches selected from collections across The Netherlands. The composition of the brooches was measured with a Hand Held-XRF device and the results showed a sharp deviation from the alloys seen in brooches from earlier periods. The results across all geographic areas consisted of a mixture of copper, zinc and lead, but no tin. If recycling practices were present in the making of these brooches, then you might expect an element of tin to enter the mixture, as bronze items entered the alloy-recycling stream. But this appears not to be the case. This consistency rules out production by travelling merchants, or at domestic households and primitive workshops. The results suggest that production was more likely organised on a regional or even super regional scale. An analysis of production at royal estates, emporia and the great abbeys found the latter to be the most likely source of these objects. Furthermore, the Christian nature of these brooches, if produced within monastic centres, may have imbued them with religious meaning, allow for a fresh interpretation of their methods of exchange. Show less
Roxburgh, M.A.; Heeren, S.; Huisman, H.; Os, B. van 2016
We present herea compositional study ofa large number of copper-alloy broochesusing Handheld X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (HHpXRF). The brooches, which come fromthe area of Nijmegen, date from... Show moreWe present herea compositional study ofa large number of copper-alloy broochesusing Handheld X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (HHpXRF). The brooches, which come fromthe area of Nijmegen, date from the Late IronAgeuntil the 2nd c.A.D. Our aim is to explore the ways in which artefact production was organized both in the context of Roman centresand in the countryside. Show less
