Tracking bronze age ‘itinerant smiths’ in western Poland: insights from Nd and Sr isotope data

Mateusz Stróżyk; Łukasz Pospieszny; Zdzislaw Belka; Aldona Garbacz‐Klempka; Patrycja Silska; Marta Wardas‐Lasoń

doi:10.1111/arcm.13085

Tracking bronze age ‘itinerant smiths’ in western Poland: insights from Nd and Sr isotope data

Mateusz Stróżyk^*
, Łukasz Pospieszny
, Zdzislaw Belka
, Aldona Garbacz‐Klempka
, Patrycja Silska
, Marta Wardas‐Lasoń

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The neodymium (Nd) isotope composition of stone casting moulds found in graves of Bronze Age ‘itinerant smiths’ in western Poland was analysed to determine the provenance of their raw materials. For the first time in archaeological research, the Nd model age (TDM)—a highly useful parameter in studying the provenance of geological materials—has been applied. Nd data revealed that the material for making casting moulds came from the Sudetes. Additionally, the results of strontium isotope analysis in human remains indicated that the metallurgists were neither born nor spent their early childhood in the areas where they were buried.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1195-1211
Number of pages	17
Journal	Archaeometry
Volume	67
Issue number	5
Early online date	1 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.13085
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 1 Apr 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Archaeometry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of University of Oxford.

Keywords

strontium isotopes
metallurgist's graves
casting moulds
Late Bronze Age
provenance
Poland
neodymium isotopes

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title = "Tracking bronze age {\textquoteleft}itinerant smiths{\textquoteright} in western Poland: insights from Nd and Sr isotope data",

abstract = "The neodymium (Nd) isotope composition of stone casting moulds found in graves of Bronze Age {\textquoteleft}itinerant smiths{\textquoteright} in western Poland was analysed to determine the provenance of their raw materials. For the first time in archaeological research, the Nd model age (TDM)—a highly useful parameter in studying the provenance of geological materials—has been applied. Nd data revealed that the material for making casting moulds came from the Sudetes. Additionally, the results of strontium isotope analysis in human remains indicated that the metallurgists were neither born nor spent their early childhood in the areas where they were buried.",

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T1 - Tracking bronze age ‘itinerant smiths’ in western Poland: insights from Nd and Sr isotope data

AU - Stróżyk, Mateusz

AU - Pospieszny, Łukasz

AU - Belka, Zdzislaw

AU - Garbacz‐Klempka, Aldona

AU - Silska, Patrycja

AU - Wardas‐Lasoń, Marta

PY - 2025/4/1

Y1 - 2025/4/1

N2 - The neodymium (Nd) isotope composition of stone casting moulds found in graves of Bronze Age ‘itinerant smiths’ in western Poland was analysed to determine the provenance of their raw materials. For the first time in archaeological research, the Nd model age (TDM)—a highly useful parameter in studying the provenance of geological materials—has been applied. Nd data revealed that the material for making casting moulds came from the Sudetes. Additionally, the results of strontium isotope analysis in human remains indicated that the metallurgists were neither born nor spent their early childhood in the areas where they were buried.

AB - The neodymium (Nd) isotope composition of stone casting moulds found in graves of Bronze Age ‘itinerant smiths’ in western Poland was analysed to determine the provenance of their raw materials. For the first time in archaeological research, the Nd model age (TDM)—a highly useful parameter in studying the provenance of geological materials—has been applied. Nd data revealed that the material for making casting moulds came from the Sudetes. Additionally, the results of strontium isotope analysis in human remains indicated that the metallurgists were neither born nor spent their early childhood in the areas where they were buried.

KW - strontium isotopes

KW - metallurgist's graves

KW - casting moulds

KW - Late Bronze Age

KW - provenance

KW - Poland

KW - neodymium isotopes

U2 - 10.1111/arcm.13085

DO - 10.1111/arcm.13085

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

SN - 0003-813X

VL - 67

SP - 1195

EP - 1211

JO - Archaeometry

JF - Archaeometry

IS - 5

ER -

Tracking bronze age ‘itinerant smiths’ in western Poland: insights from Nd and Sr isotope data

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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