ANALYSIS OF MEDIEVAL DRESS ACCESSORIES FROM LONDON.

Author(s): M P Heyworth

A large number of qualitative analyses were undertaken for a group of medieval dress accessories from various excavations in London. The accessories were mostly dated to the period from the twelth to fifteenth centuries AD. The majority were made of copper alloys, though lead/tin objects and some gold and silver objects were included in the group analysed. Attempts were made to link the analytical results with variations in object type, and with chronological and spatial variations, however it seems that a wide variety of alloys were used with few significant patterns of usage. The majority of the copper alloys analysed were brass, though gunmetals and bronzes were also present. However the range of alloys between and within object types suggests that any available scrap metal was used in the production of the objects and that there were no particular requirements for pure metals or particular compositions.

Report Number:
87/1989
Series:
AML Reports (New Series)
Pages:
48
Keywords:
Copper Alloy Lead/Tin Alloy

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