Abstract This article focuses on one of the rare workshops for the production of small copper-based alloy objects in the late Middle Ages documented by archaeology. Located in Brussels and dating from the early 15th century, the workshop produced a serial and varied production of dress accessories and other personal objects, mainly in brass, by casting or plastic deformation. These metal objects, most fashion accessories, had an important place in the medieval material culture. They are mass-produced and widely spread throughout Europe: the market is therefore very large and the techniques are adapted to satisfy this demand. This paper focuses on a workshop that adapted to this expansion while of those production structures are still largely unknown in the archaeology of northwestern Europe, the only one currently in the Low Countries that offers the possibility of knowing the practices and supplies. By identifying workshop practices, this contribution addresses, in particular, the properties and the supplies of the earth used, but also the different ranges of alloys and the evidence of the brass production by the cementation process, by combining several analysis methods (petrography using PLM and SEM, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, PIXE, X-ray diffraction). This approach highlights different supplies, local and extra-local, as the distance was not an obstacle for the supply of high-quality crucible clay and zinc ore for brass production. These results associated with the written sources places the Brussels workshop in a wider network of circulation of raw materials and know-how related to their use. This also shows the interaction between techniques, materials and more broadly with the economy of the late Middle Ages that goes beyond the local sphere. Keywords: Brass foundry, Supplies, Workshop practices, Late medieval, Brussels, Low Countries
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RBINS Staff Publications 2021
This preliminary study aims to document general trends in the representation of bird remains in anthropogenic contexts from Belgian archaeological sites. A large dataset is analysed, consisting of 186 faunal assemblages from 79 different sites. The contexts included vary in terms of their taphonomic nature (refuse layers, latrines, pits, etc.) and date, ranging from the Iron Age to the modern period. The characteristics of the study area and the dataset as a whole are described, with a focus on identification rates, past and present avian taxonomic diversity, and relative abundance of bird remains compared with domestic mammal remains. The impact of recovery methods (sieving or hand collecting) on these various aspects is also evaluated. A taxonomic analysis describes the diversity and abundance of the different groups of species that are encountered and shows which habitats were preferentially exploited for the hunting of wild birds. The study shows that there is significant taxonomic diversity across the dataset. However, this diversity is not necessarily present in each separate archaeological context, as the number of remains identified by taxon is generally low. Some species or groups of species are ubiquitous and dominant, in particular domestic fowl. Although this analysis is broad and exploratory, it is believed that it will serve as a sound methodological basis for future, more detailed studies focusing on the role that birds played in past human societies during specific chronological periods.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
