The Oedt sword: a note on brass and firegilding in the European Bronze Age
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Published
Nov 10, 2021
Abstract
The Oedt sword is one of three exceptional but disputed examples of fire-gilded metal objects in Europe dated to the Bronze Age. The sword has been re-investigated to determine its chemical composition and its method of manufacture. Metal analyses and X-ray computer tomography revealed a peculiar construction of the hilt, which is obviously a modern addition to the blade which is most likely of Bronze Age date.
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References
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Caley E R 1964, Orichalcum and related ancient alloys (New York: American Numismatic Society Notes and Monographs 151).
Craddock P T 1978, ‘The composition of copper alloys used by Greek, Etruscan and Roman civilisations. 3: The origins and early use of brass’, Journal of Archaeological Science 5, 1–16.
Craddock P T 1985, ‘Medieval copper alloy production and West African bronze analyses – Part I’, Archaeometry 27(1), 17–41.
Craddock P T and Eckstein K 2003, ‘Production of brass in antiquity by direct reduction’, in P T Craddock and J Lang (eds), Mining and metal production through the ages (London), 216–230.
Demortier G, 1992, ‘Comment on N D Meeks and P T Craddock, “The detection of cadmium in gold/silver alloys and its alleged occurrence in ancient gold solders”, Archaeometry 33(1) (1991) 95–107, and reply’, Archaeometry 34(2), 305–309.
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Driehaus J 1968, ‘Ein bronzezeitliches Vollgriffschwert aus der Niers’, Bonner Jahrbücher 168, 329–369.
Goebbels J, Illerhaus B, Onel Y, Riesemeier H and Weidemann G 2004, ‘3D-computed tomography over four orders of magnitude’, on CD of Proceedings of the 16th World Conference on Nondestructive Testing, Montréal, Canada, 2004.
Joachim H-E 1977, ‘Aus der Mittleren Nazi-Zeit, Falsche Bronzefunde’, Das Rheinische Landesmuseum Bonn: Berichte aus der Arbeit des Museums 3, 38–41.
Joachim H-E and Weber C 2002–3, ‘Die bronzezeitlichen Dolche und Schwerter im Rheinland’, Bonner Jahrbücher 202/203, 1–34.
Junghans S, Sangmeister E and Schröder M 1960–1974, Studien zu den Anfängen der Metallurgie 1–4 (Berlin).
Karmarsch K 1851, Handbuch der mechanischen Technologie 1 (Hannover).
Lutz J and Pernicka E 1996, ‘Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of ancient copper alloys: empirical values for precision and accuracy,’ Archaeometry 38(2), 313–323.
Meeks N D and Craddock P T 1991, ‘The detection of cadmium in gold/silver alloys and its alleged occurrence in ancient gold solders’, Archaeometry 33(1), 95–107.
Mommsen H no date, Röntgenfluoreszenzmessung am Schwert von Oedt. unpublished report for RLM Bonn.
Northover P and Anheuser K 2000, ‘Gilding in Britain: Celtic, Roman and Saxon’, in T Drayman-Weisser (ed), Gilded metals: history, technology and conservation (London), 109–121.
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Riederer J and Forkl H 2003, ‘Metallanalyse und typologische Reihen von Messingobjekten aus dem Reich Benin (Nigeria) im Linden-Museum Stuttgart’, Tribus 52, 210 –235.
Rothert L 1936, ‘Kampf dem Gips’, Germanen-Erbe 1, 28–30.
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Schwenzer S 2004, Frühbronzezeitliche Vollgriffdolche: Typologische, chronologische und technische Studien auf der Grundlage einer Materialaufnahme von Hans-Jürgen Hundt (Mainz).
Thornton C P and Ehlers C B 2003, ‘Early brass in the ancient Near East’, Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies News 23, 3–8.
Weirong Z and Xiagxi F 1994, ‘Application of zinc and cadmium for dating and authenticating of metal relicts in ancient China’, Bulletin of the Metals Museum 22, 16–21.
Werner O 1980, ‘Zusammensetzung neuzeitlicher Nachgüsse und Fälschungen mittelalterlicher Messinge und Bronzen’, Berliner Beiträge zur Archäometrie 5, 11–35.
Wolters J 1983, Die Granulation: Geschichte und Technik einer alten Goldschmiedekunst (Munich).
Wolters J 2006, ‘Vergolden’, in J Hoops (ed), Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 32 (Berlin/New York), 179–199.
Wüstemann H (ed) 2004, Die Schwerter in Ostdeutschland: Prähistorische Bronzefunde Abteilung IV, Band 15 (Stuttgart).
Butts A (ed) 1954, Copper: the science and technology of the metal, its alloys and compounds (New York).
Caley E R 1964, Orichalcum and related ancient alloys (New York: American Numismatic Society Notes and Monographs 151).
Craddock P T 1978, ‘The composition of copper alloys used by Greek, Etruscan and Roman civilisations. 3: The origins and early use of brass’, Journal of Archaeological Science 5, 1–16.
Craddock P T 1985, ‘Medieval copper alloy production and West African bronze analyses – Part I’, Archaeometry 27(1), 17–41.
Craddock P T and Eckstein K 2003, ‘Production of brass in antiquity by direct reduction’, in P T Craddock and J Lang (eds), Mining and metal production through the ages (London), 216–230.
Demortier G, 1992, ‘Comment on N D Meeks and P T Craddock, “The detection of cadmium in gold/silver alloys and its alleged occurrence in ancient gold solders”, Archaeometry 33(1) (1991) 95–107, and reply’, Archaeometry 34(2), 305–309.
Driehaus J 1961, ‘Röngtenuntersuchungen an bronzenen “Vollgriffschwertern”’, Germania 39, 22–31.
Driehaus J 1968, ‘Ein bronzezeitliches Vollgriffschwert aus der Niers’, Bonner Jahrbücher 168, 329–369.
Goebbels J, Illerhaus B, Onel Y, Riesemeier H and Weidemann G 2004, ‘3D-computed tomography over four orders of magnitude’, on CD of Proceedings of the 16th World Conference on Nondestructive Testing, Montréal, Canada, 2004.
Joachim H-E 1977, ‘Aus der Mittleren Nazi-Zeit, Falsche Bronzefunde’, Das Rheinische Landesmuseum Bonn: Berichte aus der Arbeit des Museums 3, 38–41.
Joachim H-E and Weber C 2002–3, ‘Die bronzezeitlichen Dolche und Schwerter im Rheinland’, Bonner Jahrbücher 202/203, 1–34.
Junghans S, Sangmeister E and Schröder M 1960–1974, Studien zu den Anfängen der Metallurgie 1–4 (Berlin).
Karmarsch K 1851, Handbuch der mechanischen Technologie 1 (Hannover).
Lutz J and Pernicka E 1996, ‘Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of ancient copper alloys: empirical values for precision and accuracy,’ Archaeometry 38(2), 313–323.
Meeks N D and Craddock P T 1991, ‘The detection of cadmium in gold/silver alloys and its alleged occurrence in ancient gold solders’, Archaeometry 33(1), 95–107.
Mommsen H no date, Röntgenfluoreszenzmessung am Schwert von Oedt. unpublished report for RLM Bonn.
Northover P and Anheuser K 2000, ‘Gilding in Britain: Celtic, Roman and Saxon’, in T Drayman-Weisser (ed), Gilded metals: history, technology and conservation (London), 109–121.
Oddy W A 1993, ‘Gilding of metals in the Old World’, in S La Niece and P Craddock (eds), Metal plating and patination (Oxford), 171–181.
Oddy W A 2000, ‘A history of gilding with particular reference to statuary’, in T Drayman-Weisser (ed), Gilded metals: history, technology and conservation (London), 1–19.
Oddy W A, Padley T G and Meeks N D 1978, ‘Some unusual techniques of gilding in antiquity’, Archaeo-Physika 10, 230–242.
Pernicka E, Schwab R, Lockhoff N and Haustein M 2008, ‘Scientific investigations of West African metal castings from a collection in Bochum’, in S von Berswordt-Wallrabe, E Pernicka and H
Wagner (eds), Original-copy-fake? Examining the authenticity of ancient works of art focussing on African and Asian bronzes and terracottas (Mainz), 80–98.
Pritzlaff J 1922, Der Goldschmied, 9th edn (Leipzig).
Riederer J 2004, ‘Ergebnisse metallanalytischer Untersuchungen von Bronzeschwertern’, in H Wüstemann (ed), Die Schwerter in Ostdeutschland: Prähistorische Bronzefunde Abteilung IV, Band 15 (Stuttgart), 259–329.
Riederer J 2008, ‘The composition of brass objects from Benin’, in S von Berswordt-Wallrabe, E Pernicka and H Wagner (eds), Original-copy-fake? Examining the authenticity of ancient works of art focussing on African and Asian bronzes and terracottas (Mainz), 99–152.
Riederer J and Forkl H 2003, ‘Metallanalyse und typologische Reihen von Messingobjekten aus dem Reich Benin (Nigeria) im Linden-Museum Stuttgart’, Tribus 52, 210 –235.
Rothert L 1936, ‘Kampf dem Gips’, Germanen-Erbe 1, 28–30.
Schwab R in press, ‘Kupferlegierungen und Kupferverarbeitung im Oppidum auf dem Martberg’, Berichte zur Archäologie an Mittelrhein und Mosel 15.
Schwenzer S 2004, Frühbronzezeitliche Vollgriffdolche: Typologische, chronologische und technische Studien auf der Grundlage einer Materialaufnahme von Hans-Jürgen Hundt (Mainz).
Thornton C P and Ehlers C B 2003, ‘Early brass in the ancient Near East’, Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies News 23, 3–8.
Weirong Z and Xiagxi F 1994, ‘Application of zinc and cadmium for dating and authenticating of metal relicts in ancient China’, Bulletin of the Metals Museum 22, 16–21.
Werner O 1980, ‘Zusammensetzung neuzeitlicher Nachgüsse und Fälschungen mittelalterlicher Messinge und Bronzen’, Berliner Beiträge zur Archäometrie 5, 11–35.
Wolters J 1983, Die Granulation: Geschichte und Technik einer alten Goldschmiedekunst (Munich).
Wolters J 2006, ‘Vergolden’, in J Hoops (ed), Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 32 (Berlin/New York), 179–199.
Wüstemann H (ed) 2004, Die Schwerter in Ostdeutschland: Prähistorische Bronzefunde Abteilung IV, Band 15 (Stuttgart).
How to Cite
Schwab, R., Willer, F., Meinel, D., Schmauder, M. ., & Pernicka, E. (2021). The Oedt sword: a note on brass and firegilding in the European Bronze Age. Historical Metallurgy, 44(1), 1-9. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/156
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How to Cite
Schwab, R., Willer, F., Meinel, D., Schmauder, M. ., & Pernicka, E. (2021). The Oedt sword: a note on brass and firegilding in the European Bronze Age. Historical Metallurgy, 44(1), 1-9. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/156