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Repair, Recycle or Re-use? Creating Mnemonic Devices Through the Modification of Object Biographies During the Late Bronze Age in Switzerland
Jennings, Benjamin R.
Jennings, Benjamin R.
Publication Date
2014-02
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© 2014 McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. Full-text reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
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Yes
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openAccess
Accepted for publication
24/04/2013
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Abstract
The biographical approach has been applied to many studies of European prehistoric metal
working which frequently discuss the potential for recycling metalwork through melting to
create new objects, drawing influence from the many ‘founders hoards’ known from across
Europe. An agglomerate of half
molten bronze objects from Switzerland suggests that such
recycling practices occurred there, although previous archaeometallurgical analysis has
indicated that such practices were temporally limited. This article focuses on an alternative
form of recycling — the direct conversion of one object into another through cutting and
reshaping — observed on several razors from Late Bronze Age (LBA) lake
dwelling contexts
in Switzerland. Atypical decorative motifs on these razors identify them as having been cut
from arm or legring jewellery pieces. It is suggested that these ‘ringrazors’ were valued
as individualized objects and created as personal mnemonic devices.
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Accepted manuscript
Citation
Jennings BR (2014) Repair, Recycle or Re-use? Creating Mnemonic Devices Through the Modification of Object Biographies During the Late Bronze Age in Switzerland. Cambridge Archaeological Journal. 24(1): 163-176.
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Article