Bronze Age Flashcards

1
Q

Date

A

1500-500 BC

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2
Q

Periods

A

Early (2000-1500 BC)

Middle (1500-1200 BC)

Late (1200-500 BC)

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3
Q

Difference between stone age + bronze age:

Stone Age

A
  • Designs drawn freehand
  • Pagan rituals + worship more of a focus in design
  • Large elaborate burial tombs
  • Carved designs on stone
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4
Q

Difference between stone age + bronze age:

Bronze Age

A
  • Designs drawn by mechanical means (compass + rulers)
  • Art + craftmanship seen in object design
  • Smaller graves
  • Developed metalworking techniques (casting, hammering, twisting metal)
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5
Q

Beaker People topics

A

Copper
Bronze
Gold
Skilled metalworkers

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6
Q

Beaker People - Copper

A
  • Beaker people mined for copper ore
  • Miners heated rock face
  • Shattered rock with cold water
  • Crushed fallen rocks with stone hammers to release copper ore
  • Bronze Age copper mine on Mount Gabriel, Co. Cork
  • Produced flat copper axes
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7
Q

Beaker People - Bronze

A
  • Produced by mixing copper w/ imported tin
  • Alloy bronze stronger than pure copper
  • Produce weapons, tools, jewelllery, cauldrons
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8
Q

Beaker People - Gold

A
  • Found alluvial gold in Tyrone + Wicklow
  • Collected by panning in riverbeds
  • Gold flakes melted to create solid gold ingots
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9
Q

Beaker People - Skilled metalworkers

A
  • High level of craft skills
  • Made wide variety of goods, incl. swords, daggers, cauldrons, axe heads, spear heads
  • Trade links w/ Britain + mainland Europe -> borrowed techniques + ideas abroad
  • Applied decoration by limited range of abstract geometric motifs:
  • > Concentric circles
  • > Hatched triangles, chevrons, squares
  • > Rope + herringbone patterns
  • > Circles + dots
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10
Q

Bronze Age People

A

Called beaker people bc of clay pots

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11
Q

Early Bronze Age artefacts

A
  • Sun disc

- Lunula

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12
Q

Middle Bronze Age artefacts

A
  • Ribbon Torc

- Derrinboy Armlets

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13
Q

Late Bronze Age artefacts

A
  • Castlederg cauldron
  • Clones dressfastner
  • Gleinsheen Gorget
  • Bulla Bog of Allen
  • Gorteenreagh Hair lock Rings
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14
Q

Early Bronze Age Metalworking Techniques

A
  • Sheeting and cutting
  • Incision
  • Repoussé
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15
Q

Sheeting and cutting

A

Gold ingots hammered into thin sheets, required shape cut out, use compass guide lines

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16
Q

Incision

A

Decoration scratched on front surface of gold using pointed bronze scriber

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17
Q

Repoussé

A

Decoration lightly punched/hammered into back of metal using hammers + punches. Resulting deco. stands out on front side in raised relief

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18
Q

Incision techniques

A
  • Concentric circles
  • Circle within circle
  • Hatching
  • Parallel lines
  • Cross-hatching
  • Chevron
  • Triangles
  • Punch marks
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19
Q

Designs made by repoussé technique

A
  • Parallel ridges
  • Beads within circles of beads
  • Rope or string pattern
  • Raised cone shape
  • Rows of beads
  • Punch marks
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20
Q

Tedavnet disc - Form

A
  • Disc circular in shape

- Rises slightly towards centre

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21
Q

Tedavnet disc - Function

A
  • Decorate a garment worn on special occasions

- Two tiny holes in centre of each disc suggest they were stitched to textile/leather

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22
Q

Tedavnet disc - Decoration

A
  • Cruciform motif in centre surrounded by concentric circles
  • Zig zag lines between concentric circles
  • Punched dots make edges of cross + circles stand out
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23
Q

Tedavnet disc - Metalworking techniques

A
  • Cut discs from thin sheet of hammered gold

- Used repoussé + punching to decorate discs

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24
Q

Ross Lunula - Form

A
  • Lunula = ‘little moon’ in latin
  • Flat sheet of gold cut into crescent shape
  • Tapers towards each end
  • Spoon-shaped ends twisted at right angles to body of lunula
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25
Q

Ross Lunula - Function

A
  • Maybe worn for ceremonial/religious occasions

- Worn by high-status individuals?

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26
Q

Ross Lunula - Decoration

A
  • Abstract geometric lines
  • Decorative border incised w/ zigzags (parallel to inner + outer edges of crescent)
  • Hatched triangles + squares at narrow ends
  • Balance + symmetry and contrast between textured + smooth areas carefully planned. Strong sense of design
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27
Q

Ross Lunula - Metalworking techniques

A
  • Gold ingot beaten into thin sheet from which crescent shape was cut out
  • Deco. incised w/ pointed metal scriber
  • Use of compass is evident in cutting + laying out of surface deco.
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28
Q

Middle Bronze Age Metalworking Techniques

A
  • 1200 BC - goldsmiths began to twist bars + ribbons of gold in order to make torcs
  • Diff.styles of torcs by varying thickness + width of bars or ribbons
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29
Q

Ribbon Torc - Form

A
  • Spiral-twisted gold band narrowing at ends

- Locking clasps, thicker than rest of torc

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30
Q

Ribbon Torc - Function

A
  • Neck ornament?
  • Ceremonies or rituals?
  • May have been worn by high-status individuals
31
Q

Ribbon Torc - Decoration

A
  • Pleasing spiralling movement

- No deco on surface

32
Q

Ribbon Torc - Metalworking techniques

A
  • Gold beaten into long ribbon, twisted using corkscrew

- Heated + given circular form (Ribbon-twisting technique)

33
Q

Derrinboy Armlets - Form

A

Corrugated bands of gold curved into open cylindrical form

34
Q

Derrinboy Armlets - Function

A

Probably worn on wrist or upper arm

35
Q

Derrinboy Armlets - Decoration

A
  • Smooth furrows + textured raised ridges
  • Cord-like texture achieved through parallel repoussé marks
  • Punched dots + raised bands frame opening. (pleasing contrast w/ corrugated pattern)
36
Q

Derrinboy Armlets - Metalworking techniques

A
  • Ingots beaten into thick sheet gold + rectangle cut out

- Decoration created ussing repoussé + punched dots

37
Q

Late Bronze Age metalworking techniques

A

Casting
Soldering
Gold foil
Riveting

38
Q

Casting

A
  • Molten gold poured into clay/stone mould.

- Left until hardened

39
Q

Soldering

A

Metal were joined together by melted metal

40
Q

Gold foil

A

Thin sheets of gold cover less valuable metals

41
Q

Riveting

A
  • Pins inserted in a hole overlapping bronze sheets

- Pin ends hammered down flat on inside to secure sheets together

42
Q

Castlederg Cauldron - Form

A
  • Bronze cauldron w/ rounded base
  • Curves in @ shoulder
  • Rim slopes outwards. Two rings attached to loops on rim
43
Q

Castlederg Cauldron - Function

A
  • Boiling food/carrying food?

- Ceremonial use?

44
Q

Castlederg Cauldron - Decoration

A
  • Rim decorated w/ rows of small punched holes

- Conical rivets on exterior

45
Q

Castlederg Cauldron - Metalworking techniques

A

Riveting used to join rectangular sheets into form of a cauldron

46
Q

Hoards

A
  • Many Bronze Age artefacts discovered in hoards
  • Some hidden to be retrieved later, others were random collections of jewellery thrown into lakes + rivers (offerings to gods?)
47
Q

Clones Press Fastener (fibula) - Form

A

Two large concave (round, basin-shaped) terminals joined by a gold bow

48
Q

Clones Press Fastener (fibula) - Function

A
  • Terminals probably slipped into two button holes to hold a garment closed
  • Ceremonial use?
  • Symbol of high status/power?
49
Q

Clones Press Fastener (fibula) - Decoration

A
  • Raised concentric lines at edges of terminals
  • Irregular pattern of concentric circles on terminals
  • Double zig zags appear where gold bow joins terminals
50
Q

Clones Press Fastener (fibula) - Metalworking techniques

A
  • Connecting bow cast in solid gold (1kg in weight)
  • Raised concentric lines by repoussé
  • Concentric circles incised by rotating special tool
51
Q

Gleninsheen Gorget - Form

A

U-shaped gold collar w/ two large decorated discs (one at each end)

52
Q

Gleninsheen Gorget - Function

A
  • Ties at back of disks, indicating worn around neck

- Probably worn for ceremonial religious reasons/indicate high status

53
Q

Gleninsheen Gorget - Decoration

A
  • Raised points punched from behind on innter + outer edges
  • Cord pattern between raised smooth ridges
  • Concentric circles + cone (at centre) of each disk
54
Q

Gleninsheen Gorget - Metalworking techniques

A
  • Made from sheet gold
  • Decorated using repoussé + punching
  • Concentric circular motifs on discs applied by specialised toothed instrument
55
Q

Bulla, Bog of Allen - Form

A

Heart-shaped w/ cylindrical opening across top

56
Q

Bulla, Bog of Allen - Function

A
  • Opening indicates - worn as pendants

- Probably to encourage fertility/protect wearer from evil

57
Q

Bulla, Bog of Allen - Decoration

A
  • Decorated on sides, rear + front

- Concentric circles, semicircles, triangles + other motifs

58
Q

Bulla, Bog of Allen - Metalworking techniques

A
  • Lead core covered w/ gold foil

- Decorated using repoussé + punching

59
Q

Gorteenreagh Hair-Lock Rings - Form

A
  • Two low cones joined together in each.

- Open slit from edge to a central tube

60
Q

Gorteenreagh Hair-Lock Rings - Function

A

Decorative hair ornament where plaits were inserted

61
Q

Gorteenreagh Hair-Lock Rings - Decoration

A

Glistening effect created by fine gold wires encircling cones

62
Q

Gorteenreagh Hair-Lock Rings - Metalworking techniques

A
  • Parts soldered together w/ molten gold

- Cones held together by gold band folded around rim

63
Q

Name of People

A

Beaker people

64
Q

Designs

A

Geometric shapes with rulers and compasses

65
Q

Sun disc example

A

Co. Monaghan

66
Q

Ross Lunula example

A

Co. Westmeath

67
Q

Ribbon Torc example

A

Belfast

68
Q

Derrinboy Armlets example

A

Co. Offaly

69
Q

Castlederg Cauldron example

A

Co. Tyrone

70
Q

Clones Dress Fastener (FIbula) example

A

Co. Monaghan

71
Q

Gleninsheen Gorget example

A

Co. Clare

72
Q

Bulla, Bog of Allen example

A

Co. Kildare

73
Q

Gorteenreagh Hair-Lock Rings example

A

Co. Clare