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McCloy JS, Marcial J, Clarke JS, Ahmadzadeh M, Wolff JA, Vicenzi EP, Bollinger DL, Ogenhall E, Englund M, Pearce CI, Sjöblom R, Kruger AA. Reproduction of melting behavior for vitrified hillforts based on amphibolite, granite, and basalt lithologies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1272. [PMID: 33446807 PMCID: PMC7809384 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80485-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
European Bronze and Iron Age vitrified hillforts have been known since the 1700s, but archaeological interpretations regarding their function and use are still debated. We carried out a series of experiments to constrain conditions that led to the vitrification of the inner wall rocks in the hillfort at Broborg, Sweden. Potential source rocks were collected locally and heat treated in the laboratory, varying maximum temperature, cooling rate, and starting particle size. Crystalline and amorphous phases were quantified using X-ray diffraction both in situ, during heating and cooling, and ex situ, after heating and quenching. Textures, phases, and glass compositions obtained were compared with those for rock samples from the vitrified part of the wall, as well as with equilibrium crystallization calculations. ‘Dark glass’ and its associated minerals formed from amphibolite or dolerite rocks melted at 1000–1200 °C under reducing atmosphere then slow cooled. ‘Clear glass’ formed from non-equilibrium partial melting of feldspar in granitoid rocks. This study aids archaeological forensic investigation of vitrified hillforts and interpretation of source rock material by mapping mineralogical changes and glass production under various heating conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S McCloy
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA. .,Materials Science and Engineering Program, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA. .,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. .,Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
| | - José Marcial
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.,Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Jack S Clarke
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Mostafa Ahmadzadeh
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.,Materials Science and Engineering Program, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - John A Wolff
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Edward P Vicenzi
- Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Suitland, MD, USA
| | - David L Bollinger
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Erik Ogenhall
- The Archaeologists, National Historical Museums (SHM), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mia Englund
- The Archaeologists, National Historical Museums (SHM), Uppsala, Sweden
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