Rituals, Hoards and Travellers? Archaeometry of the Iron Age Bronze Wheel Amulets

This paper aims to discuss the origin and significance of the so-called spoked-wheel amulets from the late Iron Age (3 rd to 1 st century BC). The type with eight spokes, which most resembles a real chariot wheel, was discovered to be made of a specific alloy containing a large amount of lead and a significant amount of antimony, plus traces of silver and arsenic. This combination of elements signifies the use of a copper known as fahlore (tetrahedrite). Its use in Bohemia after the early Bronze Age is rarely observed, if at all. These amulets are therefore a conspicuous exception. Research in Bavaria has revealed other objects made from fahlore copper. Another connection to Bavaria may be indicated by coin hoards accompanied by bronze closure rings of a similar alloy design. Other cases may suggest that antimony was added as a separate component. Here we discuss the composition and provenance of these objects from the perspective of compositional and lead isotope analysis

Ancient history · Antimony · Archaeological science · Archaeology · Art · Bezoar · Bronze · Bronze Age · Chalcolithic · Chariot · Copper · Copper alloy · Geochemistry · Geography · Metallurgy · Provenance · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Chemistry · History · Materials Science · Mineralogy and Gemology Studies · Geology

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