The Mineralogy of Bronze Age Copper Ores from the British Isles: Implications for the Composition of Early Metalwork

Numerous analytical studies during the latter half of this century have contributed to the compilation of a large compositional database of Early to Middle Bronze Age copper-based artefacts revealing distinctive impurity patterns which appear to change over time. However, attempts to relate these data to copper ore sources proved problematic in the absence of firm evidence for the location of prehistoric copper mines. Over the last fifteen years this situation has changed dramatically with the discovery of numerous Early and Middle Bronze Age copper mines in England and Wales. This study is the first attempt at a comprehensive mineralogical survey of the principal mines investigated to date in order to define the likely composition of the copper ores as mined in antiquity for comparison with the artefact database. The study suggests that the majority of these mines can only have produced essentially pure copper. Only one mine, Ross Island, is likely to have produced copper with a significant level of impurities. The relative purity of the known ore sources is contrasted with significant levels of various metallic impurities among the analysed artefacts, leading to the conclusion that metal circulation and mixing may have been more extensive than previously thought even during the earliest part of the Bronze Age.     

Bodies in Motion: Narratives and Counter Narratives of Gendered Mobility in European Later Prehistory

Normative notions of sex and gender were prevalent in discussion of European prehistoric societies until the last quarter of the 20th century. The progressive work that challenged a binary approach, published particularly in the 1990s, created an anticipation for further nuanced interpretation. This paper argues that, in contrast to this expectation, there was a surprising return to narrating a past of binary sex and gender. Societal roles have continued to be imagined as formalised through structures based on biological sex, with men seen as active mobile agents, while women were passive and static homemakers. We argue that not only is this unhelpful, the archaeological evidence renders it incorrect. We highlight the inherent conflicts in the data to show that investigating sex and gender in the past is difficult with imperfect and complex archaeological evidence. It requires careful and deliberate consideration to avoid normative explanations. In conclusion, we propose that investigating mobility is a particularly effective topic for examining past gendered societal roles.