The
first metal that mankind widely used was bronze, an alloy of Copper and tin.
In
Ireland we split the Bronze age into three distinct periods:
Early
bronze age – 2000bc to 1500bc
Middle
bronze age – 1500bc to 1200bc
Late
bronze age – 1200bc to 5o00bc
The
first metal that mankind widely used was bronze, an alloy of Copper and tin.
Three main metalworking techniques of the Bronze age
Repoussé –
Design beaten up from behind.
Incised
– design cut into
Twisting
– metal twisted.
Metalworking Techniques
The
technique
for
moulding
the bronze improved during the bronze age.
Initially
items were cast by pouring the bronze into a hollowed out stone. When removed, this axe head would have been
attached to a wooden handle at its narrow end, while the wide end would have become the
blade.
By
the middle bronze age, people had invented two-part moulds,
where 2 hallowed stones were put together and liquid metal poured into the gap
at the top. This allowed more complex
items such as daggers to be produced.
By
the end of the bronze age, people were making wax or fat models of what they
wanted to cast, putting clay around them and then heating the clay to melt the
wax. They then poured in the metal and
chipped away the
clay once it had set.
Bronze age objects
Early bronze age – 2000bc to 1500bc
Beaker Pottery
Gold
Sun Disc from Tedavnet
Gold
Lunula, Co. Kerry
Middle Bronze Age- 1500bc – 1200bc
Bar Torc Earrings.
Period:
middle bronze age
Form:
twisted gold flanged torc,
small in size with fastening clasps made from gold wire.
Function:
worn as jewellery to
show status and wealth.
Decoration: the
decoration of the earrings is attained through the twisting of the flanged gold
bar.
Technique: firstly
a square sectioned piece of gold bar would be hammered out. Then the flat faces of the bar would be
hammered to emphasis the corners, creating flanges. The bar was then twisted to create the
design. The clasps were made from gold
wire.
Long gold bar torcs.
Period: middle
bronze age
Form: long
twisted gold flanged torc
with elaborate hook like clasps.
Function:
worn as jewellery
around the waist, perhaps used to fasten clothing. Worn as a sign of status and wealth.
Decoration: the decoration is attained through
twisting if the flanges gold bar.
Technique: firstly the square sectioned piece of
gold bar would be hammered out. Then the
flat faces of the bar would be hammered to emphasis the corners, creating
flanges. The bar was then twisted to
create the design. The
hook clasps were rounded and bent into shape of the design.
Ribbon Torc from Belfast
Period: middle
bronze age
Form: twisted
flat gold bar with hook clasps to fasten the piece.
Function:
worn as jewellery
around the neck as a sign of status and wealth.
Decoration: decoration
is attained through the uniform twisting of the flat gold bar.
Techniques: firstly
a piece of gold would be hammered into a flat thin rectangular strip. The strip would then be twisted uniformly to
create the ribbon effect. The ends of
the strip would be hammered into rounded hooks for fastening.
Late bronze age – 1200bc to 5o00bc
The
dowris
phase 1200bc – 500bc.
This
phase got its name from a hoard of objects dating from this time found in Dowris
Co. Offaly. The hoard consisted of roughly 200 times
ranging from axe heads and swords to horns and a cauldron.
Gold Armlets from Derrinaboy, Co. Offaly
Period: late
bronze age
Form: cylindrical
bands of gold which are not completely closed.
Function: jewellery worn to show wealth and status. These would be worn on the wrist. The design could have possibly originated
from protective armor worn by warriors.
Decoration: thin ridges of geometrical patterns flowing
around the band. The outer edge of the
piece has a raised lip.
Technique: gold would be hammered until very thin
and then cut into a rectangular shape.
The decoration was applied using the repoussé technique. The gold sheet was then bent around a
cylindrical form.
Location: Derrinaboy, Co. Offaly
Fibula from Clones, Co. Monaghan
Period: late
bronze age
Form: 2
disc or cup like shapes joined together with a gold bow of handle made from approx
1kg of Gold.
Function: it was most likely worn as a dress
fastener. Due to the weight of this
fibula it was not practical for everyday wear and was probably reserved for
ritual.
Decoration: the surface is finely polished.
There are four rows of concentric circles on
three quarters of the cup’s surfaces containing a single punch mark at each
centre.
The surface of the cups
underneath the bow is undecorated but polished.
The perimeter of the cups are decorated with rings in a step like
fashion.
Where the bow joins the cups
where are chevrons and parallel lines encircling it.
The bow itself is finely polished without
design.
Technique: the piece was cast using the lost wax
method. In bronze age times animal fat
may have been used instead of wax.
After casting the piece, it would have been polished before the designs were
made using the incision technique.
Location: Clones,
Co. Monaghan
Gleninsheen Gold Collar (Gorget)
Period: late
bronze age
Form: cresent
shaped gold sheet with two attached concave gold discs.
Function: jewellery worn around the neck as a sign of wealth
and status.
Decoration: the crescent shaped part is highly decorated
with six Repoussé
ridges of rope with rows of beads on either side. The edges are folded backwards to give a
clean edge.
The
outer edge of the concave discs are decorated with Repoussé
beading. There is a row of incised
concentric circles with dot marks at the center.
At
the center of the disc is a larger Repoussé point.
Technique: firstly gold was hammered in a thin sheet and
then cut into the cresent
and disc shapes. The discs were hammered
into a concave shape. The decoration was
added using both incision and Repoussé technique before joining the pieces
together using a type of biscuit joint and securing with gold wire.
Location: Glenisheen Co. Clare
Gorteenreagh Lock rings
Period: Late
Bronze age
Form: each
lock ring consists of two cone shapes of thin gold wire fixed together at the
wide end with a pinched narrow bronze sheet creating a ridge. A slit is cut into the form from the edge to
the center. At the center is a
cylindrical piece of sheet gold that can rotate freely.
Function: these were probably worn as hair
ornaments by a wealthy or powerful member of society. A lock of hair could be pushed through the
slit of the cone and the aligned cylinder.
The lock of hair could be fixed in place by rotating the cylinder out of
alignment.
Decoration:
decoration of the piece is achieved in the very thin and delicate spiral
created by the gold wire, as it spirals from the center of the cones
outward. The edges of the pieces are
polished.
Technique: the cones were made by coiling thin gold
wire over a cone form. The wire was
soldered together to create a ridge cone structure. Each cone was then cut to allow for the slit. The cones were joined with a band of sheet
gold pinch around the edges. A
cylindrical tube also with a slit was placed at the center and can move freely. The band and the cylinder were made from gold
which was hammered into a sheet and cut to size.
Location: Gorteenreagh, Co. Clare
Gold plated Bulla
Large Bronze Cauldron from Ballyscullion
