Speaker
Dr
Winfried Kockelmann
(STFC-Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)
Description
Bronze Age swords represent the peak of craftsmanship in terms of prehistoric weapon production. Following an extensive study on the manufacture and usage of Bronze Age swords from the Alpine region [1], we have used time-of-flight performed neutron diffraction on the General Materials Diffractometer (GEM) at the ISIS Facility, UK, to analyse ten swords in order to highlight the advantages and drawbacks of the diffraction analysis. The phase compositions and crystallographic textures of the copper tin alloys reveal information about the mechanical and thermal treatment at different parts of the sword blades. Knowledge about different working intensities of cold working in various areas of the sword blades can provide information about the usage of the swords as mainly thrusting or as cut-and-thrust used weapons. The neutron diffraction results are compared to results from bronze replica samples and to X-ray fluorescence and metallographic analyses applied to the same objects.
[1] M. Moedlinger (2011). Herstellung und Verwendung bronzezeitlicher Schwerter Mitteleuropas. Eine vertiefende Studie zur mittelbronze- und urnenfelderzeitlichen Bewaffnung und Sozialstruktur. Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorischen Archäologie 193 (Habelt: Bonn).
Primary author
Dr
Moedlinger Marianne
(Excellence-Cluster TOPOI, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Eurasien Abteilung, Im Dol 2-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany)
Co-authors
Dr
Evelyne Godfrey
(Uffington Heritage Watch)
Dr
Winfried Kockelmann
(STFC-Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)
