Reshaping Archaeological Metallurgy: a new role for science in Britain's heritage sector

重塑考古冶金学：科学在英国遗产部门的新角色

• 批准号: MR/W008580/1
• 负责人: Peter Bray
• 金额: $ 184.12万
• 依托单位: University of Reading
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FW008580%2F1
• 关键词: Reshaping; Archaeological; Metallurgy; new; role

Metal is at the heart of archaeology: it permeated ancient societies, drew together far-flung regions, was central to economies, and opened unique avenues for self-expression. However, the scientific study of copper-alloy is currently fractured and cut off from the realities of modern archaeology in the UK. This programme has two important, related missions: to create new connections across the national heritage sector for archaeological chemistry, and at the same time, to reimagine what chemical analysis can reveal about our material past. It will deliver an ambitious analysis programme, tracing the nuanced flow and impact of metal around the Iron Age, Roman and Early Medieval world, from 50 BC to AD 1066. This will be delivered by new chemical and conceptual models, which move beyond provenance and object biographies. I will tackle the structural barriers that have stopped chemistry becoming an inclusive, standard tool across the heritage community. I will establish a national network of researchers and create real opportunities for lasting collaboration and debate, based around tiers of training, internships and workshops. This will form the first ever national programme for the analysis of first millennium AD British copper-alloy artefacts and address a number of current problems.My research has shown that the chemistry of a unit of metal is not static or solely determined by geology. Instead, it is a subtle and mutable record of the life history of the material. Previously overlooked shifts within the chemical record document human behaviour and technological processes. The data directly speaks to the concerns of the humanities and archaeology today. My new approach captures the flow, exchange, recycling, and human choices surrounding the use of metal in the past, as real people both shaped and were shaped by technology.The Portable Antiquities Scheme has recorded a staggering 330,000 copper alloy finds from the Iron Age, Roman, and Early Medieval periods, all reported by the general public. This achievement shows the power of citizen science and the true scale of the UK's metallurgical past, a new archive to complement the world-leading collections of Britain's museums and the huge volume of work by commercial archaeology units. This mountain of history urgently requires UK-wide attention, to improve the quality of analyses and to interpret regional and national trends. We will work with 30 partner organisations to produce 10,000 precise analyses of selected artefacts, across 100 themed case studies, in a dedicated laboratory at the University of Reading. Rather than focus on pockets of heritage, this will be a systematic investigation of all British regions, and the full array of material culture.The chemical analysis of artefacts is often expensive and marginalising for heritage managers. Several partners on this project have complained of being left to translate results with little training, or more worryingly, being ignored by specialists in laboratories. There is little trust or dialogue between sectors of the heritage community. Even material culture specialists do not know what chemistry can do for them, with few having the opportunity to find out. This programme will directly tackle these engrained problems through tiers of training and knowledge exchange events.In order to understand our material past, we have to fundamentally change the way we discuss it in the present. This programme will improve all the tools that we have available: the chemical data, UK coverage, archaeological connections, models, open access archives and publications. But more importantly it will bring together all voices within the heritage community and place science at the heart of our social debates. The opportunity offered by the undiscovered first millennium AD and the power of the Future Leaders Fellowships, provide the leverage to deliver lasting and crucial change to the British archaeological landscape.

金属是考古学的核心：它渗透到古代社会，将遥远的地区联系在一起，是经济的核心，并为自我表达开辟了独特的途径。然而，对铜合金的科学研究目前已经断裂，并与英国现代考古学的现实脱节。该计划有两个重要的相关任务：在国家遗产部门为考古化学创造新的联系，同时重新想象化学分析可以揭示我们的物质过去。它将提供一个雄心勃勃的分析计划，追踪从公元前50年到公元1066年铁器时代，罗马和中世纪早期世界金属的细微流动和影响。这将通过新的化学和概念模型来实现，这些模型超越了出处和对象传记。我将解决结构性障碍，这些障碍阻止化学成为整个传统社区的包容性标准工具。我将建立一个全国性的研究人员网络，并围绕培训、实习和讲习班的层次，为持久的合作和辩论创造真实的机会。这将成为有史以来第一个对公元第一个千年的英国铜合金文物进行分析的国家计划，并解决当前的一些问题。我的研究表明，一个金属单位的化学成分并不是静态的，也不仅仅是由地质学决定的。相反，它是材料生活史的微妙和可变的记录。以前被忽视的化学记录中的变化记录了人类行为和技术过程。这些数据直接反映了当今人文科学和考古学的关注。我的新方法捕捉了过去围绕金属使用的流动、交换、回收和人类选择，因为真实的人既塑造了技术，也被技术塑造。便携式文物计划记录了令人震惊的33万件铜合金发现，这些发现来自铁器时代、罗马和中世纪早期，所有这些都是由公众报道的。这一成就显示了公民科学的力量和英国冶金历史的真实规模，一个新的档案馆，以补充英国博物馆的世界领先的收藏和商业考古单位的巨大工作量。这座历史之山迫切需要全英国的关注，以提高分析质量，并解释区域和国家趋势。我们将与30个合作组织合作，在阅读大学的专门实验室中对选定的文物进行10，000项精确分析，涉及100个主题案例研究。这将是一次对英国所有地区和所有物质文化的系统调查，而不是集中在遗产的口袋里。对文物的化学分析通常是昂贵的，而且对遗产管理者来说是边缘化的。该项目的几个合作伙伴抱怨说，他们在翻译结果时几乎没有接受过培训，或者更令人担忧的是，他们被实验室的专家忽视了。遗产界各部门之间几乎没有信任或对话。即使是物质文化专家也不知道化学能为他们做些什么，很少有机会找到答案。该项目将通过多层次的培训和知识交流活动直接解决这些根深蒂固的问题。为了了解我们的物质过去，我们必须从根本上改变我们现在讨论它的方式。该计划将改善我们现有的所有工具：化学数据，英国覆盖面，考古联系，模型，开放获取档案和出版物。但更重要的是，它将汇集遗产社区内的所有声音，并将科学置于我们社会辩论的核心。未被发现的公元第一个千年所提供的机会和未来领导人奖学金的力量，为英国考古景观提供了持久和关键的变化。

项目成果

Putting the archaeology back into the antiquarian: an investigation of copper alloy objects from Luristan in the Dr H.A. Fawcett Collection of Typology

将考古学带回到古物学家中：对 H.A. 博士的卢里斯坦铜合金物品进行调查

• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Past
• 作者: Boyle, G

The flow of metals, power and identity. Fishbourne Roman Palace and the REMADE project (Roman and Early Medieval Alloys Defined)

金属、力量和身份的流动。

• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Sussex Past and Present
• 作者: Bray, P.J.