The Manufacture of Minoan Metal Vessels: Theory and Practice

Project

This interdisciplinary study investigated the metalsmithing techniques and technology used to produce metal vessels in Bronze Age Crete.  Christina Clarke undertook this research as a PhD candidate at the ANU School of Art Gold and Silversmithing Workshop between 2008 and 2012 under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Johannes Kuhnen and Dr Ann Moffatt.

A monograph of the study was published by Astrom Editions in 2013.

About

This study aimed to establish the equipment and methods used to make hammered metal vessels in Crete during the Bronze Age by combining archaeological research with metalsmithing practice. The most substantial studies to date have been largely typological.  Some have examined the equipment and processes used, but usually without fully taking into account the metalsmithing techniques involved in vessel manufacture.  An understanding of the equipment required and the manner in which it is used provides a new perspective on the Minoan craft and its practitioners.

The initial stages of the study involved investigating Minoan vessel types and characteristics, and studying excavation reports on Bronze Age metallurgical sites in Crete as well as publications on the metallurgy of Minoan Crete and other Bronze Age cultures.  The second stage was the detailed examination of a number of Minoan vessels in collections in Crete and the UK.  The final stage was to replicate tools and equipment found at Minoan metallurgical sites and to test their viability for making Minoan metal-vessel forms.  The processes involved annealing, the application of different hammering methods, riveting and polishing techniques (watch videos of some of these below).  These reconstructed processes led to the creation of two small bowls, a hydria made from separate sections (pictured above) and a one-handled basin.

The results of this research and the replication of equipment and techniques made it possible to reconstruct the processes used to make these vessels.  Several other discoveries were made which have broader implications.  Firstly, the reconstructive process revealed some of the physical aspects of the craft which would have affected the working practices of Minoan smiths and the roles of individuals within a workshop.  Secondly, the study showed that simple tools found at many Minoan metallurgical sites are very effective for creating these vessels.  Furthermore, the results suggest that metalsmithing may have occurred at more locations than are currently recognised as metallurgical sites.  Lastly, it was discovered that both the forms and the often large sizes of Minoan vessels and, by extension, many Mycenaean vessels were determined by the types of tools that the smiths used.  This has implications for how we might interpret these vessels within the broader context of the metal-vessel traditions of other contemporaneous cultures.

 

Related Publications

Christina Clarke, The Manufacture of Minoan Metal Vessels: Theory and Practice. Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology Pocket Book 178.  Uppsala: Åströms förlag, 2013.

Christina Clarke, “Minoan Metal Vessel Manufacture: Reconstructing Techniques and Technology with Experimental Archaeology“, in Rebecca B. Scott, Dennis Braekmans, Mike Carremans & Patrick Degryse (eds) 39th International Symposium on Archaeometry: 28 May – 1 June 2012 Leuven, Belgium, (Centre for Archaeological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven: 2014), 81-85.

Christina Clarke, “Minoan Metal Vessel Manufacturing: Techniques and Technology”, Chronika 2 (2012): 11-21.

Minoan Metalworking Processes

During the course of the project a series of short films were created to illustrate some of the technology and processes used in the study.  Further information about the processes shown here can be found in the publications listed above.

All films by Lan Nguyen-hoan.

Annealing a copper billet in a charcoal hearth

A copper billet is annealed in a simple charcoal hearth and a blowpipe is used to raise the temperature of the hearth.  The billet is then quenched in a salt and vinegar bath to remove oxides and finally rinsed in water.

Sinking a copper vessel form using a stone hammer

Using a stone hammer in the shape of a pestle, a copper dish is shaped by hammering it over a hemispherical cutout on the top of a hardwood stump. The rim is then forged flat. This process is performed numerous times, and the dish is regularly annealed to maintain the malleability of the metal.

Raising a copper vessel with stone hammers

Using a stone hammer in the shape of a pestle, a copper vessel form is raised over a wooden stake.  This process is performed numerous times, and the vessel is regularly annealed to maintain the malleability of the metal.

 

Finishing and polishing a copper vessel using stone tools

Using a range of stone tools with different abrasive qualities, the surface of the vessel is cut back and polished to create a reflective surface.