Non-destructive analysis of a Late Bronze Age hoard from the Velem-Szent Vid hillfort

Abstract

The study discusses an unpublished bronze hoard from the famous West Hungarian archaeological site: Velem-Szent Vid (Transdanubia, Vas County). This small Ha B1 assemblage contains a spearhead with remains of the wooden shaft, a sickle, and three different types of ingots. Our aim was a comprehensive structural and compositional characterization of the preserved objects from the hoard exclusively by means of non-invasive and non-destructive analytical, structural, and imaging techniques (XRF, PGAA, TOF-ND, Neutron Imaging, X-ray Imaging). The spearhead and the ingots were studied from production to deposition. Our results suggest that the spearhead was a good quality cast with relatively high Sn content and extremely low porosity rate. It received a minimal post-casting treatment, and hafted similarly to West European Late Bronze Age spearheads. Based on use-wear traces caused by blade-on-blade contact and edge-vs-flat collision, this weapon may have been used in parrying situation. After being used most likely just for a short period, the metal and wooden parts of weapon were intentionally destroyed by plastic deformation prior to deposition. Ingots selected to the Velem-Szent Vid hoard were cast in open one-piece moulds or ‘improvised’ moulds carved to the surfaces or berms of the metallurgical workshop. They have not been partitioned further after casting, but selected for deposition. The elemental composition data of the ingots revealed high quantity of Pb and Sb. The ratio of Pb in the miniature plano-convex ingot (89 ± 0.3 m%) and the rod ingot (94 ± 0.3 m%) was so high that they can be identified as lead ingots, a rare raw material type during the Late Bronze Age. One out of the analysed three ingots, the elemental composition of the cuboid ingot was the most complex, containing high Pb (13–37 m%) and Sb (0.6–6.2 m%) based on PGAA. Chalcocite (Cu2S) was identified by TOF-ND, which points to the possible origin of the raw material or production method (smelting). Our study suggests that this hoard was a combination of a professionally cast spearhead, used and destroyed intentionally along with a fragmented sickle, and three rare and valuable ingots made of specific materials, which were not used after casting. All of them were deposited together in a votive hoard in a central, multi-hoard settlement. Their treatment and selection followed local hoarding traditions practiced in Velem-Szent Vid and its related areas in Transdanubia.