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MANUFACTURE OF THE WELL-KNOWN CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN EUROPEAN EYE FIBULAE: PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 August 2021

Audronė Bliujienė ,
Kęstutis Peseckas ,
Justina Šapolaitė ,
Žilvinas Ežerinskis ,
Jurga Bagdzevičienė ,
Evaldas Babenskas ,
Ričardas Taraškevičius ,
Sergej Suzdalev ,
Irma Vybernaitė-Lubienė  and
Algirdas Pabedinskas
...Show all authors
Audronė Bliujienė
Affiliation:
Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania
Kęstutis Peseckas
Affiliation:
Nature Research Center, Laboratory of Nuclear Geophysics and Radioecology, Akademijos St. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, Lithuania
Justina Šapolaitė
Affiliation:
Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Saulėtekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
Žilvinas Ežerinskis
Affiliation:
Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Saulėtekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
Jurga Bagdzevičienė
Affiliation:
Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania Lithuanian National Museum of Art, Pranas Gudynas Centre for Restoration, Rūdninkų St. 8, LT-01135 Vilnius, Lithuania
Evaldas Babenskas
Affiliation:
Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania
Ričardas Taraškevičius
Affiliation:
Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania Nature Research Center, Institute of Geology and Geography, Akademijos St. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, Lithuania Klaipėda University, Marine Research Institute, Universiteto Ave. 17, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania
Sergej Suzdalev
Affiliation:
Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania Klaipėda University, Marine Research Institute, Universiteto Ave. 17, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania
Irma Vybernaitė-Lubienė
Affiliation:
Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania Klaipėda University, Marine Research Institute, Universiteto Ave. 17, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania
Algirdas Pabedinskas
Affiliation:
Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Saulėtekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
Laurynas Butkus
Affiliation:
Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Saulėtekio Ave. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
Gediminas Petrauskas*
Affiliation:
Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania National Museum of Lithuania, Department of Prehistoric Archaeology Collections, Arsenalo St. 1, LT-01143 Vilnius, Lithuania
*
*Corresponding author. Email: petrauskasgediminas@gmail.com
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Abstract

The emergence and widespread distribution of eye fibulae as adornment objects, from the northern provinces of the Roman Empire to northeastern Europe and Scandinavia, as well as their typology have been widely explored. Currently in Lithuania, a total of 209 eye fibulae dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries are known. The geographical distribution, typology and chronology of these Early Roman Period jewelry artifacts do not present any problem. However, the technology of manufacture of these fibulae has been much less studied. The present article analyzes the technology of manufacture of Prussian series eye fibulae, including the previously unknown specific manufacturing techniques, such as the use of wooden axes to modify the construction of the fibula and make it more durable and long lasting. Radiocarbon (14C) dating has unambiguously confirmed that the wooden axes are contemporaneous with the time of the use of the fibulae, while observation under the scanning electron microscope has identified wood species used for making the wooden axes. The X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) analysis was used to determine the copper alloys, of which eye fibulae were made. The manufacturing technologies of eye fibulae (forging and casting) are discussed in the context of analytical and experimental studies.

Keywords

copper alloyseye fibulaeLithuaniamanufacturing technologiesXRF analysis
Type
Research Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 63 , Issue 5 , October 2021 , pp. 1369 - 1386
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press for the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona

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