Papers by Richard B Warner
Applied Geochemistry, 21.6 (2006), 904-918.
The importance of Au to ancient societies has encouraged many archaeologists to search for the so... more The importance of Au to ancient societies has encouraged many archaeologists to search for the sources exploited in antiquity. These projects generally involve detailed studies of artefacts and comparison of their chemical characteristics with those reported for natural Au. However, descriptions of natural Au are frequently inadequate for provenancing studies, and the compositional variability of the material is not widely recognised. The present study describes a new approach to gold provenancing using the technique of microchemical characterisation in which populations of gold grains are classified according to the alloy compositions and the assemblages of microinclusions of other minerals. This technique, originally developed to identify sources of alluvial gold during Au exploration, has proved applicable to provenancing studies in four main areas. Firstly, microchemical characterisation of artefacts grouped according to archaeological criteria can indicate the number of sources exploited in relation to time and artefact taxonomy. Secondly, knowledge of the total variation in chemical characteristics of natural Au from a particular region provides an excellent database for provenancing and reduces the need for exhaustive sampling. Thirdly, it is possible to predict how Au alloys were modified during fabrication as a consequence of assimilation of mineral inclusions. Finally, identification of inclusion phases in artefact Au can provide information on metallurgical practices. These principles have been applied to the search for the source of Au used for the unique traditions of prehistoric Irish metalworking. Studies of 180 Irish Au artefacts belonging to four major metalworking traditions dating from the Early Bronze Age (2400 BC) to the Iron Age, (150 BC) show that each group exhibits distinctive Ag and Cu contents. Parallel studies of 2267 natural Au grains from 58 alluvial localities and four bedrock localities throughout Ireland reveal a broad pattern of alloy compositions consistent with style of mineralisation and host geology. The ranges of Ag contents of Early Bronze Age and Middle Bronze Age artefacts suggests that the Au source lies within Lower Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks of the
Ulster Journal of Archaeology 77, 21-44., 2022
Ulster Journal of Archaeology 77, 1-20, 2022
Archaeology Ireland 24 (4), (2010), 18-21, 2010
report on further investigations of prehistoric metal-working. More on the gold In 2009 we report... more report on further investigations of prehistoric metal-working. More on the gold In 2009 we reported in this periodical (ArchaeologyIreland 23 (2), 22-5) an outcome of the Irish Prehistoric Gold Project regarding the source of the gold used in early Bronze Age Irish ornaments. We said that the only natural gold that we had found in our country-wide search that matched the gold of the majority of the ornaments in its proportions of both silver and copper was from streams in the western part of the Mourne Mountains, Co. Down. We also showed that the presence of cassiterite (tin dioxide) in the Mournes streams strengthened this conclusion, as tin is often found in minute amounts in the ornaments.
Archaeology Ireland 23.2, 22-5 (with R Chapman, M Cahill & N Moles), 2009
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
Journal of Irish Archaeology, 29, 79-102, 2020
Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 2019
Emania: Bulletin of the Navan Research Group., 2020
Meek, M. (ed.). The Modern Traveller to Our Past (DPK Publishing, 2006), 169-176., 2006
St Patrick, the kings of Clogher and the standing stones of Findermore. in Meek, M. (ed.). The Mo... more St Patrick, the kings of Clogher and the standing stones of Findermore. in Meek, M. (ed.). The Modern Traveller to Our Past (DPK Publishing, 2006), 169-176.
Archaeology Ireland
Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears... more Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission.
Ulster Journal of Archaeology 73 (2015-16), 198-203 (with James Graham-Campbell), 2016
Emania 24 (2018), 63-7
It is argued here that the second-century Romano-Egyptian geographer Ptolemy's 'Winderis river-mo... more It is argued here that the second-century Romano-Egyptian geographer Ptolemy's 'Winderis river-mouth' is to be identified with the inlet between the inner and outer bays at Dundrum, Co. Down. The highly dangerous sand-bars and white-water waves at the mouth of the inlet are explanation enough for the name, which appears to mean 'the whitest (river)'. The dangerous nature of the inlet might also explain why, despite its being a fairly minor feature, it was included on Ptolemy's map. The turbulent waters also give a good explanation for the old-Irish myth concerning a sea-monster at that spot. Finally it is proposed that a late-Roman gold-and-silver hoard found adjacent to the inlet might have been an offering to the sea-god, in thanks or as appeasement.
Ulster Journal of Archaeology (vol 74), 2017-8, 33-47, 2018
Journal of Irish Archaeology 24 (2015) (with Norman R moles), 97-114
Two profiles through fluvial sediments associated with the Leitrim River, in the Mourne Mountains... more Two profiles through fluvial sediments associated with the Leitrim River, in the Mourne Mountains, are described and three stratified radiocarbon dates from minute woody-charcoal fragments from one of the profiles are discussed. Two of the dates are Neolithic (early and late), the earliest being, perhaps, the result of slash-and-burn forest clearance. The third date is Early Bronze Age and we suggest, on the basis of the sediment characteristics and metal analyses, that the charcoal in that layer might have been connected with the recovery of tin and gold. Fig. 1-Maps of the Mourne Mountains and the valley of the Leitrim River.
Ulster Journal of Archaeology 72, 2013-14, 55-69.
Emania 23 (2016), 61-66
This paper gives a brief description of the Danes Cast linear earthwork in Counties Down and Arma... more This paper gives a brief description of the Danes Cast linear earthwork in Counties Down and Armagh, in particular the part played in its study by John Bell in about 1815. The whole earthwork is briefly described and an explanation is offered on its date and purpose. Finally a section first recorded by Bell, but since rejected, is reinstated and shown to extend the southern end of the cast
A Late Bronze Age hoard including two bronze bowls imported from Central Europe has recently been... more A Late Bronze Age hoard including two bronze bowls imported from Central Europe has recently been discovered near a complex of contemporary ceremonial sites in County Armagh.
Trigg, J. (ed), Of Things Gone but Not Forgotten, 2012, 95-108 (BAR S5434) (with M Cahill)
Many studies of Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts and burial practices rely heavily on material ... more Many studies of Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts and burial practices rely heavily on material excavated in the nineteenth century bThe history of the chemical analysis of Irish prehistoric gold, from the work of Hartmann in Stuttgart to the latest National Museum of Ireland project, is outlined. We re-iterate a problem of Hartmann's silver values and show that simple XRF techniques measuring copper and silver can give extremely valuable, consistent results. It has been found that with these two elements it is possible to draw chronological, technological and even cultural conclusions. A case study, using some data from the extensive database that has now been built up for Irish gold, addresses the problems of the date, origin and technology of the two hoards from Downpatrick, Co. Down. The Middle Bronze Age date of the neck-ring, and its origin in Iberia, are confirmed. It is shown, however, that most of the accompanying bracelets were made in Ireland in the Late Bronze Age, but coated with the earlier imported gold. The hoards are, therefore, of late Bronze Age date.
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Papers by Richard B Warner