Stephen Merkel
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 212060 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Stephen Merkel |
| NOMBRES | Stephen |
| APELLIDO | Merkel |
| FIRMA | MERKEL S |
| AFILIACIONES | Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8730-6923 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 18 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 46 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 18 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2016 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 4 |
The Damhus Hoard
In 2018, a hoard totalling 266 silver Viking Age coins was discovered near Damhus, south of Ribe (Denmark). The coins belong to the early ninth‐century ‘KG 4’ series, with the vast majority, 262 coins, identified as having Face/Forward Looking Deer on the obverse/reverse. They are among the earliest type of a reformed coinage from Scandinavia's first town, Ribe (Denmark)—some of the first Viking silver pennies. Chemical and lead isotopic analyses…
The Provenance of Silver in the Viking‐Age Hoard From Bedale, North Yorkshire
The acquisition of silver was a key motive propelling the Viking expansion out of Scandinavia; identifying the sources of Viking silver during the early part of the Viking Age can provide critical insights into the relative significance of western European and eastern, Islamic wealth in the Viking expansion. Here, we present new lead isotope and trace element analyses of silver ingots and rings contained in the late ninth‐ /early tenth‐century ho…
The glaze is less opaque on the other side
Lead isotope analysis of lead-tin-glaze via on-site portable laser ablation sampling of 17-18th century Delftware (earthenware)
This study investigates the application of portable laser ablation sampling followed by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine lead isotope ratios (LIR) of thirteen 17–18th century Delftware earthenware objects. A method was developed to minimize invasiveness while obtaining sufficient material for accurate isotopic analysis. The method is applicable to all Pb-rich glazes. The white glaze of individual Delftware…
Sources of Silver in North-Eastern Rus in the 10th–13th centuries ad according to lead isotope analysis
The article discusses the results of lead isotope analysis of 54 silver objects from the 9th–13th centuries AD from rural sites of Suzdal Opolye and villages around Murom. As a result of comparing the obtained data with the available databases for Pb-Pb isotopic values of archaeological objects from various collections and ore samples, it was established that in the second half of the 10th – early 11th century AD, Samanid dirhams were used in Opo…
Evidence for Slavic lead mining and trade
Both in Byzantium and by the Kievan Rus’, lead seals were used to signify ownership. Their stamped inscriptions and symbols are analogous to coinage and are a rich source of information on interaction and commerce. The Rus’ used them in the 11th-13th century CE as regular seals issued by rulers and church officials but also for sealing a specified number of furs exported from East European forests (creating ‘approved’ pelt bundles; so-called Droh…
Early mediaeval lead glass bangles from Czermno, Poland
This paper presents the results from analysis of thirty 12th to 13th century glass bangles from Czermno, eastern Poland. Study of the primary glass composition was carried out by laser ablation ICP‐MS and electron probe microanalysis. Lead isotope analyses were conducted to determine the origin of the glass's main raw material. Two types of lead glass were distinguished, high‐lead glass and Slavic lead ash glass, both of which were common in Cent…
Byzantine plate and Frankish mines
The late seventh-century introduction of silver coinage marked a transformation in the economy of north-west Europe, yet the source(s) of the silver bullion behind this change remains uncertain. Here, the authors use combined lead isotope and trace element analysis of 49 coins from England, Frisia and Francia to provide new insights into north-European silver sources during the ‘long eighth century’ ( c . AD 660–820). The results indicate an earl…
International Trade in Outland Resources
OF VALUABLE 'outland' resources was fundamental to the early medieval economy, linking upland, forested and coastal regions with emerging urban markets.Recent research has detailed the increased exploitation and production of raw materials, including tar, soapstone, iron and antler, in the centuries prior to and during the Viking Age, primarily within Scandinavia.Here, it is argued from new isotope data relating to lead from 9th-to 11th-century Y…
Sources of early Islamic silver
The expansion of the early Islamic state (c. AD 700-900) was underpinned by the minting of silver coins (dirhams) on an enormous scale. While the wider effects of this coinage have been studied extensively, the sources of silver have attracted less attention and research has relied on literary texts pointing to mines in Arabia and Central Asia. Here, the authors use lead isotope and trace element analyses of more than 100 precisely dated silver c…
Silver recycling in the Viking Age
The recycling (remelting) of precious metals is commonly seen as a major impediment in provenancing studies. Yet in cases where known silver sources are both limited and geochemically well‐characterized, there are opportunities to evaluate silver flows at different temporal and geographical scales. Here, we provide a theoretical and analytical framework for assessing the impact of precious metal recycling in a historical context in which silver r…
The smelting of copper in the third millennium cal BC Trentino, north-eastern Italy
This paper presents observations and analyses on seven slag pieces from two third-millennium cal BC (Late Copper Age/Early Bronze Age) rock shelters in the Trentino, north-eastern Italy: La Vela di Valbusa and the Riparo di Monte Terlago. We review previous work on contemporary slags from the region and show that the smelting did not follow the well-known 'Timna', 'Eibner' or so-called 'Chalcolithic' copper smelting processes. We show that ethnog…
Lead Isotopic Characteristics and Metal Sources for the Jewelry in the Medieval Rural Settlements from the Suzdal Region (Kievan Rus’)
The article considers the results of the study of lead isotope composition of 38 non-ferrous artifacts discovered at medieval rural sites of the Suzdal Region (Kievan Rus’). The copper-alloy, silver and pewter artifacts were compared with reference data from geographically and temporally diverse medieval artifacts and ore deposits and revealed differing source regions and supply networks within and between metal types. The identification in some …
A contribution to the technology and sources of lead in Byzantium
This article presents the results of lead isotope analysis of ten Byzantine seals from the sigillographic collection of Robert Feind (Cologne). The report is preceded by an overview of pre-existing studies on lead use in the Byzantine Empire and a presentation of the investigated seals datable to the Early Byzantine (4 specimens), Middle Byzantine (5 specimens) and Late Byzantine period (1 specimen). Three seals are of imperial issue. The results…
Evidence for the widespread use of dry silver ore in the Early Islamic period and its implications for the history of silver metallurgy
Over much of its history, silver production has been tied to lead metallurgy. For the early Middle Ages in particular, it is widely accepted that galena, a lead sulfide, was the dominant source of silver. Since galena can be associated with silver in the range of 0.1–0.5%, rarely more, this implies that tons of lead must have been laboriously processed to extract kilograms of silver. While all extant physical evidence from mines, slag and the met…
Simultaneous lead isotope ratio and gold-lead-bismuth concentration analysis of silver by laser ablation MC-ICP-MS
A new approach is presented for the simultaneous analysis of lead isotope ratios and gold, lead, and bismuth concentrations in metallic silver using nanosecond laser ablation multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS). Corrections for both isotope and concentration analyses are performed using an in-house matrix matched silver reference material RM3834. Accuracy and external reproducibility are demonstrated by rep…
Archaeometallurgical investigations of a Viking brass ingot hoard from the Hedeby Harbor in northern Germany
Silver production at al‐Radrad
The zinc‐lead‐silver deposit of al‐Jabali, about 65 km north‐east of Sana'a in Yemen, has been identified as the location of the late antique/Islamic period silver mine al‐Radrad. Exploitation of the mine is known from the account of al‐Hamdani, an Arab geographer of the tenth century AD . The al‐Jabali area has been the focus of geological and archaeometallurgical surveys, and extensive metallurgical remains have been discovered. Samples of ore,…
The smelting of copper in the third millennium cal BC Trentino, north-eastern Italy
This paper presents observations and analyses on seven slag pieces from two third-millennium cal BC (Late Copper Age/Early Bronze Age) rock shelters in the Trentino, north-eastern Italy: La Vela di Valbusa and the Riparo di Monte Terlago. We review previous work on contemporary slags from the region and show that the smelting did not follow the well-known 'Timna', 'Eibner' or so-called 'Chalcolithic' copper smelting processes. We show that ethnog…
Evidence for the widespread use of dry silver ore in the Early Islamic period and its implications for the history of silver metallurgy
Over much of its history, silver production has been tied to lead metallurgy. For the early Middle Ages in particular, it is widely accepted that galena, a lead sulfide, was the dominant source of silver. Since galena can be associated with silver in the range of 0.1–0.5%, rarely more, this implies that tons of lead must have been laboriously processed to extract kilograms of silver. While all extant physical evidence from mines, slag and the met…
Early mediaeval lead glass bangles from Czermno, Poland
This paper presents the results from analysis of thirty 12th to 13th century glass bangles from Czermno, eastern Poland. Study of the primary glass composition was carried out by laser ablation ICP‐MS and electron probe microanalysis. Lead isotope analyses were conducted to determine the origin of the glass's main raw material. Two types of lead glass were distinguished, high‐lead glass and Slavic lead ash glass, both of which were common in Cent…
International Trade in Outland Resources
OF VALUABLE 'outland' resources was fundamental to the early medieval economy, linking upland, forested and coastal regions with emerging urban markets.Recent research has detailed the increased exploitation and production of raw materials, including tar, soapstone, iron and antler, in the centuries prior to and during the Viking Age, primarily within Scandinavia.Here, it is argued from new isotope data relating to lead from 9th-to 11th-century Y…
Sources of early Islamic silver
The expansion of the early Islamic state (c. AD 700-900) was underpinned by the minting of silver coins (dirhams) on an enormous scale. While the wider effects of this coinage have been studied extensively, the sources of silver have attracted less attention and research has relied on literary texts pointing to mines in Arabia and Central Asia. Here, the authors use lead isotope and trace element analyses of more than 100 precisely dated silver c…
Silver recycling in the Viking Age
The recycling (remelting) of precious metals is commonly seen as a major impediment in provenancing studies. Yet in cases where known silver sources are both limited and geochemically well‐characterized, there are opportunities to evaluate silver flows at different temporal and geographical scales. Here, we provide a theoretical and analytical framework for assessing the impact of precious metal recycling in a historical context in which silver r…
Evidence for Slavic lead mining and trade
Both in Byzantium and by the Kievan Rus’, lead seals were used to signify ownership. Their stamped inscriptions and symbols are analogous to coinage and are a rich source of information on interaction and commerce. The Rus’ used them in the 11th-13th century CE as regular seals issued by rulers and church officials but also for sealing a specified number of furs exported from East European forests (creating ‘approved’ pelt bundles; so-called Droh…
Byzantine plate and Frankish mines
The late seventh-century introduction of silver coinage marked a transformation in the economy of north-west Europe, yet the source(s) of the silver bullion behind this change remains uncertain. Here, the authors use combined lead isotope and trace element analysis of 49 coins from England, Frisia and Francia to provide new insights into north-European silver sources during the ‘long eighth century’ ( c . AD 660–820). The results indicate an earl…
Simultaneous lead isotope ratio and gold-lead-bismuth concentration analysis of silver by laser ablation MC-ICP-MS
A new approach is presented for the simultaneous analysis of lead isotope ratios and gold, lead, and bismuth concentrations in metallic silver using nanosecond laser ablation multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS). Corrections for both isotope and concentration analyses are performed using an in-house matrix matched silver reference material RM3834. Accuracy and external reproducibility are demonstrated by rep…
The glaze is less opaque on the other side
Silver production at al‐Radrad
The zinc‐lead‐silver deposit of al‐Jabali, about 65 km north‐east of Sana'a in Yemen, has been identified as the location of the late antique/Islamic period silver mine al‐Radrad. Exploitation of the mine is known from the account of al‐Hamdani, an Arab geographer of the tenth century AD . The al‐Jabali area has been the focus of geological and archaeometallurgical surveys, and extensive metallurgical remains have been discovered. Samples of ore,…
Silver production at al‐Radrad
The zinc‐lead‐silver deposit of al‐Jabali, about 65 km north‐east of Sana'a in Yemen, has been identified as the location of the late antique/Islamic period silver mine al‐Radrad. Exploitation of the mine is known from the account of al‐Hamdani, an Arab geographer of the tenth century AD . The al‐Jabali area has been the focus of geological and archaeometallurgical surveys, and extensive metallurgical remains have been discovered. Samples of ore,…
Archaeometallurgical investigations of a Viking brass ingot hoard from the Hedeby Harbor in northern Germany
Simultaneous lead isotope ratio and gold-lead-bismuth concentration analysis of silver by laser ablation MC-ICP-MS
A new approach is presented for the simultaneous analysis of lead isotope ratios and gold, lead, and bismuth concentrations in metallic silver using nanosecond laser ablation multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS). Corrections for both isotope and concentration analyses are performed using an in-house matrix matched silver reference material RM3834. Accuracy and external reproducibility are demonstrated by rep…
Lead Isotopic Characteristics and Metal Sources for the Jewelry in the Medieval Rural Settlements from the Suzdal Region (Kievan Rus’)
The article considers the results of the study of lead isotope composition of 38 non-ferrous artifacts discovered at medieval rural sites of the Suzdal Region (Kievan Rus’). The copper-alloy, silver and pewter artifacts were compared with reference data from geographically and temporally diverse medieval artifacts and ore deposits and revealed differing source regions and supply networks within and between metal types. The identification in some …
A contribution to the technology and sources of lead in Byzantium
This article presents the results of lead isotope analysis of ten Byzantine seals from the sigillographic collection of Robert Feind (Cologne). The report is preceded by an overview of pre-existing studies on lead use in the Byzantine Empire and a presentation of the investigated seals datable to the Early Byzantine (4 specimens), Middle Byzantine (5 specimens) and Late Byzantine period (1 specimen). Three seals are of imperial issue. The results…
Evidence for the widespread use of dry silver ore in the Early Islamic period and its implications for the history of silver metallurgy
Over much of its history, silver production has been tied to lead metallurgy. For the early Middle Ages in particular, it is widely accepted that galena, a lead sulfide, was the dominant source of silver. Since galena can be associated with silver in the range of 0.1–0.5%, rarely more, this implies that tons of lead must have been laboriously processed to extract kilograms of silver. While all extant physical evidence from mines, slag and the met…
Silver recycling in the Viking Age
The recycling (remelting) of precious metals is commonly seen as a major impediment in provenancing studies. Yet in cases where known silver sources are both limited and geochemically well‐characterized, there are opportunities to evaluate silver flows at different temporal and geographical scales. Here, we provide a theoretical and analytical framework for assessing the impact of precious metal recycling in a historical context in which silver r…
The smelting of copper in the third millennium cal BC Trentino, north-eastern Italy
This paper presents observations and analyses on seven slag pieces from two third-millennium cal BC (Late Copper Age/Early Bronze Age) rock shelters in the Trentino, north-eastern Italy: La Vela di Valbusa and the Riparo di Monte Terlago. We review previous work on contemporary slags from the region and show that the smelting did not follow the well-known 'Timna', 'Eibner' or so-called 'Chalcolithic' copper smelting processes. We show that ethnog…
International Trade in Outland Resources
OF VALUABLE 'outland' resources was fundamental to the early medieval economy, linking upland, forested and coastal regions with emerging urban markets.Recent research has detailed the increased exploitation and production of raw materials, including tar, soapstone, iron and antler, in the centuries prior to and during the Viking Age, primarily within Scandinavia.Here, it is argued from new isotope data relating to lead from 9th-to 11th-century Y…
Sources of early Islamic silver
The expansion of the early Islamic state (c. AD 700-900) was underpinned by the minting of silver coins (dirhams) on an enormous scale. While the wider effects of this coinage have been studied extensively, the sources of silver have attracted less attention and research has relied on literary texts pointing to mines in Arabia and Central Asia. Here, the authors use lead isotope and trace element analyses of more than 100 precisely dated silver c…
Sources of Silver in North-Eastern Rus in the 10th–13th centuries ad according to lead isotope analysis
The article discusses the results of lead isotope analysis of 54 silver objects from the 9th–13th centuries AD from rural sites of Suzdal Opolye and villages around Murom. As a result of comparing the obtained data with the available databases for Pb-Pb isotopic values of archaeological objects from various collections and ore samples, it was established that in the second half of the 10th – early 11th century AD, Samanid dirhams were used in Opo…
Evidence for Slavic lead mining and trade
Both in Byzantium and by the Kievan Rus’, lead seals were used to signify ownership. Their stamped inscriptions and symbols are analogous to coinage and are a rich source of information on interaction and commerce. The Rus’ used them in the 11th-13th century CE as regular seals issued by rulers and church officials but also for sealing a specified number of furs exported from East European forests (creating ‘approved’ pelt bundles; so-called Droh…
Early mediaeval lead glass bangles from Czermno, Poland
This paper presents the results from analysis of thirty 12th to 13th century glass bangles from Czermno, eastern Poland. Study of the primary glass composition was carried out by laser ablation ICP‐MS and electron probe microanalysis. Lead isotope analyses were conducted to determine the origin of the glass's main raw material. Two types of lead glass were distinguished, high‐lead glass and Slavic lead ash glass, both of which were common in Cent…
Byzantine plate and Frankish mines
The late seventh-century introduction of silver coinage marked a transformation in the economy of north-west Europe, yet the source(s) of the silver bullion behind this change remains uncertain. Here, the authors use combined lead isotope and trace element analysis of 49 coins from England, Frisia and Francia to provide new insights into north-European silver sources during the ‘long eighth century’ ( c . AD 660–820). The results indicate an earl…
The Provenance of Silver in the Viking‐Age Hoard From Bedale, North Yorkshire
The acquisition of silver was a key motive propelling the Viking expansion out of Scandinavia; identifying the sources of Viking silver during the early part of the Viking Age can provide critical insights into the relative significance of western European and eastern, Islamic wealth in the Viking expansion. Here, we present new lead isotope and trace element analyses of silver ingots and rings contained in the late ninth‐ /early tenth‐century ho…
The glaze is less opaque on the other side
Lead isotope analysis of lead-tin-glaze via on-site portable laser ablation sampling of 17-18th century Delftware (earthenware)
This study investigates the application of portable laser ablation sampling followed by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine lead isotope ratios (LIR) of thirteen 17–18th century Delftware earthenware objects. A method was developed to minimize invasiveness while obtaining sufficient material for accurate isotopic analysis. The method is applicable to all Pb-rich glazes. The white glaze of individual Delftware…
The Damhus Hoard
In 2018, a hoard totalling 266 silver Viking Age coins was discovered near Damhus, south of Ribe (Denmark). The coins belong to the early ninth‐century ‘KG 4’ series, with the vast majority, 262 coins, identified as having Face/Forward Looking Deer on the obverse/reverse. They are among the earliest type of a reformed coinage from Scandinavia's first town, Ribe (Denmark)—some of the first Viking silver pennies. Chemical and lead isotopic analyses…
Archaeology (13 obras) · Geology (13 obras) · Geography (10 obras) · Materials Science (9 obras) · History (8 obras) · Metallurgy (8 obras) · Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts (8 obras) · Ancient history (7 obras) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (7 obras) · Geology (7 obras)