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| Home > Publications database > The Production of Axes in the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age – Analyses based on Archaeological Experiments and Synchrotron Radiation Analysis |
| Conference Presentation (Invited) | PUBDB-2015-06021 |
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2015
Abstract: The Production of Axes in the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age – Analyses based on Archaeological Experiments and Synchrotron Radiation Analysis In 2010 a research project of the Archäologische Landesmuseum Schloss Gottorf in Schleswig in cooperation with the Deutsche Elektronen-Synchrotron in Hamburg (DESY) was started to analyse late Neolithic and early Bronze Age axes to find out how the axes were cast, finished and used. We made some copper and bronze axe replicas trying to understand the historic casting of the objects. Additionally with the use of replicated stone tools for metalworking we tried to reproduce the tool marks found on the original objects. After the replicates matched the original objects visually, we chose a set of synchrotron based methods for first experiments to investigate in a non-destructive way replicated and original axes alike. Comparing the replicates with the originals we could answers most open questions as: How the surface of the original pieces had been smoothed after casting? Had the edges or the entire axes been hardened by hammering? If the chemistry of all objects is constant throughout the objects body? By learning from the results of the measurements we could enhance the quality of our replicates significantly and could identify nearly 2 century old forgeries from the stock of the museum Schloss Gottorf. Measurements were done using high energy diffraction in transmission for structural information, X-ray diffraction at lower energies in reflection for surface analysis and X-ray fluorescence in reflection to gather information of the surface chemistry. The experiments were performed at the DORIS III Beamlines L, G3 and HARWI and the PETRA III HEMS Beamline P07 at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Hamburg.One of our partners is a museum therefore our focus was set on non-destructive methods and experiments. With storage ring X-ray diffraction we analysed the structure of ancient and replicated axes to understand the technical production process of the individual object. The experiments helped us to understand how many people were needed in this process of casting without bellows. Which qualifications should they have and what kind of technical equipment was necessary. We used a simple open fireplace and a set of replicated stone tools for metalworking to harden the edges and finish the surface. Traces of the tools used in the experiment allowed understanding how the craftsmen worked and how they disguised faults in their work. In the end all this even helped to discover a faked 19th century hoard find.
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