Fusing fragments
Résumé
Late Bronze Age (LBA) metalwork in southern Scandinavia is often visually striking, meant for various forms of social and ceremonial display. Despite this role, bronze objects sometimes feature indiscrete repairs. Mended and added parts have often been seen as functional solutions to damages caused by accidental breakage or exhaustive wear. However, repairs might also denote meaningful customisations, which change the visual identity and value of the object. Repaired metalwork not only throws light on Bronze Age aesthetics and attitudes towards valuables but also offers insights into the lives of fragments ‘after the break’. This chapter explores different forms of reuse and repair, especially focusing on how fragments or parts were used in modifications. We identify four forms of modifications: fill-ups, fusing, patching and upcycling. From these modifications, we discuss which objects were more prone to modifications and the difference in connotations between breaking (and mending) composite versus solid objects. We also argue that the importance of the casting event could be one explanation for the high amount of imperfections and casting flaws on the metalwork in circulation. This material stimulates wider reflection on fragmentable, ‘partible’ and composite objects and the ways in which different fragments invite reuse.
Domaines
Archéologie et PréhistoireOrigine | Publication financée par une institution |
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Licence |