Annular gold ornaments from western Gaul: Archaeometallurgical aspects of the Lasgraïsses ensemble, Tarn, France (3rd century BC)
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Published
Nov 9, 2021
Abstract
The technical aspects of the annular gold neck ring and bracelet found in 1885 in a shallow pit in Lasgraïsses (Tarn, France), dated to the 3rd century BC, are discussed, based on the recent results obtained by morphological examination of the jewellery, optical microscopy, SEM, X‑radiography, and non-destructive elemental analysis by PIXE with an external micro-beam. Despite similarities in their appearance, and being manufactured with similar high purity gold alloys, these ornaments were produced by fundamentally different manufacturing techniques and in slightly different alloys. The arm ring consists of two sheet metal elements joined by hard soldering, a chased sheet on the outside and a smooth, flat, inner sheet. The neck ring consists of two pieces made up of six main components cast using the lost wax process, and several small sheet elements, all separately manufactured and then joined by hard soldering.
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References
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Armbruster B 2012, ‘Blütenkränze aus Gold. Die Ringe von Lasgraïsses’, in Archäologisches Landesmuseum Baden-Württemberg, Landesmuseum Württemberg und Landesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart, Die Welt der Kelten. Zentren der Macht – Kostbarkeiten der Kunst (Stuttgart), 312-313.
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Barrandon N J and Sarthre C 1999: ‘Le trésor de Tayac: apport analytique’, Pallas 50, 287-296.
Belhomme M 1841, ‘Rapport et observations concernant d’antiques ornements en or trouvés au territoire de Fenouillet, près de Toulouse’, Mémoires de la Société Archéologique du Midi de la France 4, 375-392.
Benner Larsen E 1987, ‘SEM-identification and documentation of tool marks and surface textures on the Gundestrup cauldron’, in J Black (ed), Recent advances in the conservation and analysis of artifacts (London), 393-394.
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Cabié E 1885, ‘Bijoux antiques en or découverts à Lasgraïsses’, Revue Archéologique du département du Tarn 5, 258-262.
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Le Goffic M, Eluère C and Duval A R 1985, ‘Le site de l’Age du Fer et les perles d’or de Tréglonou (Finistère)’, Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française 82(10-12), 510-533.
Maryon H 1949, ‘Metal Working in the Ancient World’, American Journal of Archaeology 53(2), 93-125.
Meeks N 2011, ‘The Braganza fibula. Scientific investigation and technology’, in A Perea (ed), La fíbula de Braganza (Madrid), 37-96.
Milcent P-Y 2006, ‘Le Toulousain du début de l’âge du Fer aux premiers implantations romaines (VIIIe-IIe siècles av J-C)’, in J Massandari, La Haute-Garonne hormis le Comminges et Toulouse. Carte Archéologique de la Gaule (Paris), 48-56 and 172-6.
Museo Arqueológico Nacional 2002, Torques, belleza y poder (Madrid).
Perea A and Armbruster B R 2011, ‘Un desafío tecnológico: La fíbula de Braganza’, in A Perea (ed), La fíbula de Braganza (Madrid), 97-108.
Radtke M, Reiche I, Reinholz U, Riesemeier H and Guerra M F 2012, ‘Beyond the Great Wall: Gold of the silk roads and the first empire of the steppes’, Analytical Chemistry 85, 1650-1656.
Tolosa 2001, L’or de Tolosa. Catalogue d’exposition du Musée Saint Raymond, Musée des Antiques de Toulouse (Toulouse).
Untracht O 1982, Jewelry concepts and technology (London).
Voûte A C 1991, ‘Die Analysenverfahren für Goldgegenstände’, in A Furger and F Müller (eds), Gold der Helvetier: keltische Kostbarkeiten aus der Schweiz (Zurich), 49-51 and 164-167.
Armbruster B 2001, ‘Metallguß’, in H Beck, D Geuenich and H Steuer (eds), Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 19 (Berlin, New York), 622-642.
Armbruster B 2011, ‘Approaches to metal work – The role of technology in tradition, innovation and cultural change’, in X-L Armada Pita and T Moore (eds), Atlantic Europe in the First Millennium BC: Crossing the divide (Oxford), 417-438.
Armbruster B 2012, ‘Blütenkränze aus Gold. Die Ringe von Lasgraïsses’, in Archäologisches Landesmuseum Baden-Württemberg, Landesmuseum Württemberg und Landesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart, Die Welt der Kelten. Zentren der Macht – Kostbarkeiten der Kunst (Stuttgart), 312-313.
Armbruster B and Guerra M F 2003: ‘L’or archéologique, une approche interdisciplinaire’, Techné 18, 57-62.
Barrandon N J and Sarthre C 1999: ‘Le trésor de Tayac: apport analytique’, Pallas 50, 287-296.
Belhomme M 1841, ‘Rapport et observations concernant d’antiques ornements en or trouvés au territoire de Fenouillet, près de Toulouse’, Mémoires de la Société Archéologique du Midi de la France 4, 375-392.
Benner Larsen E 1987, ‘SEM-identification and documentation of tool marks and surface textures on the Gundestrup cauldron’, in J Black (ed), Recent advances in the conservation and analysis of artifacts (London), 393-394.
Bois G de 1999, La ciselure et ses techniques (Paris).
Bruni F 1994, La fusione artistica a cera persa (Venezia-Marghera).
Cabié E 1885, ‘Bijoux antiques en or découverts à Lasgraïsses’, Revue Archéologique du département du Tarn 5, 258-262.
Cahill M 2010, ‘Safe secrets 2 – a newly discovered Iron Age gold torc’, Archaeology Ireland 24(2), No 92, 6-7.
Cartailhac E 1886, ‘Le torque et le bracelet d’or de Lasgraïsses’, Materiaux pour l’histoire primitive de l’homme 3, 182-190.
Cauuet B 1999, ‘L’exploitation de l’or en Gaule à l’Age du Fer’, in B Cauuet (ed), L’Or dans l’Antiquité: de la Mine à l’Objet (Bordeaux: Aquitania supplément 9), 31-81.
Eluère C 1985, ‘Goldwork of the Iron Age in “Barbarian” Europe’, Gold Bulletin 18(4), 144-155.
Eluère C 1987a, Das Gold der Kelten (Munich and Fribourg).
Eluère C 1987b, ‘Celtic gold torcs’, Gold Bulletin 20(1/2), 22-37.
Eluère C, Drilhon F, Duday H and Duval, A R 1989, ‘L’or et l’argent de la tombe de Vix’, Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française 86(1), 10-32.
Eluère C, Gomez de Soto J and Duval A 1987, ‘Un chef-d’oeuvre de l’orfèvrerie celtique: le casque d’Agris (Charente)’, Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française 84(1), 8-22.
Evans T F 1936, Hammered metalwork (London).
Guerra M F 2004, ‘Fingerprinting ancient gold with proton beams of different energies’, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B 226, 185–198.
Guerra M F 2008, ‘An overview on the ancient goldsmith’s skill and the circulation of gold in the past: the role of X-ray based techniques’, X-ray Spectrometry 37(4), 317-27.
Guerra M F 2014, ‘Role of radiation physics in the study and authentication of ancient gold work’, Radiation Physics and Chemistry 95, 356-361. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2013.01.041)
Guerra M F and Tissot I 2013, ‘The role of nuclear microprobes in the study of technology, provenance and corrosion of cultural heritage: The case of gold and silver items’, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B 306, 227-231. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.11.053)
Hartmann A 1970, Prähistorische Goldfunde aus Europas, S.A.M. III and IV (Berlin).
Hautenauve H 2005, Les torques d’or du second Age du Fer en Europe. Technique, typologie et symbolique (Rennes: Travaux du Laboratoire d’Anthropologie de Rennes 44).
Hunter F 2010, ‘Golden torcs – a remarkable new find of Iron Age gold near Stirling’, History Scotland 10(2), 8-10.
Kruta V 2004, Les Celtes (Luçon).
Le Goffic M, Eluère C and Duval A R 1985, ‘Le site de l’Age du Fer et les perles d’or de Tréglonou (Finistère)’, Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française 82(10-12), 510-533.
Maryon H 1949, ‘Metal Working in the Ancient World’, American Journal of Archaeology 53(2), 93-125.
Meeks N 2011, ‘The Braganza fibula. Scientific investigation and technology’, in A Perea (ed), La fíbula de Braganza (Madrid), 37-96.
Milcent P-Y 2006, ‘Le Toulousain du début de l’âge du Fer aux premiers implantations romaines (VIIIe-IIe siècles av J-C)’, in J Massandari, La Haute-Garonne hormis le Comminges et Toulouse. Carte Archéologique de la Gaule (Paris), 48-56 and 172-6.
Museo Arqueológico Nacional 2002, Torques, belleza y poder (Madrid).
Perea A and Armbruster B R 2011, ‘Un desafío tecnológico: La fíbula de Braganza’, in A Perea (ed), La fíbula de Braganza (Madrid), 97-108.
Radtke M, Reiche I, Reinholz U, Riesemeier H and Guerra M F 2012, ‘Beyond the Great Wall: Gold of the silk roads and the first empire of the steppes’, Analytical Chemistry 85, 1650-1656.
Tolosa 2001, L’or de Tolosa. Catalogue d’exposition du Musée Saint Raymond, Musée des Antiques de Toulouse (Toulouse).
Untracht O 1982, Jewelry concepts and technology (London).
Voûte A C 1991, ‘Die Analysenverfahren für Goldgegenstände’, in A Furger and F Müller (eds), Gold der Helvetier: keltische Kostbarkeiten aus der Schweiz (Zurich), 49-51 and 164-167.
How to Cite
Annular gold ornaments from western Gaul: Archaeometallurgical aspects of the Lasgraïsses ensemble, Tarn, France (3rd century BC). (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 46(2), 55-65. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/114
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How to Cite
Annular gold ornaments from western Gaul: Archaeometallurgical aspects of the Lasgraïsses ensemble, Tarn, France (3rd century BC). (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 46(2), 55-65. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/114