Searching for the origins of early Islamic brass-making in Western Asia

In the early part of the second millennium AD, brass emerged as a major form of Islamic metalworking, with the production of highly decorated objects in a variety of forms and styles. However, we know comparatively little about the background to this development, and particularly its association with earlier brass-making in Europe and Asia. Securely dated archaeological finds from sites across Western Asia provide new evidence and a new opportunity to trace the development of these traditions. In this thesis, I present analyses of hundreds of excavated artefacts from regional sites dating from Late Antiquity to the early Islamic period (ca. third to twelfth centuries AD), including the Persian Gulf port of Siraf and the Central Asian city of Merv. Using Artax-XRF and SEM-EDS to analyse the surface and core metal compositions of these artefacts, I trace the different metals and alloys in circulation at different times and places. I also integrate these new analyses with a range of legacy scientific data from sites in the eastern Mediterranean and Asia. Using SEM, radiography and optical microscopy, I also identify various manufacturing processes associated with the use of different alloys and different object forms. My research shows evidence for both continuity and change in alloys and their uses, for the early selection of brass and for enduring but shifting traditions in the selection of bronze and other copper alloys. These analyses provide context and insights into the choices of metalworkers and consumers in this period, as well as changes in the nature and role of brass within these communities in the lead up to its adoption as a popular and prestige material.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Cambridge

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Davis, Mark

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Martinon-Torres, marcos
• Mongiatti, Aude

• brass
• bronze
• metallurgy
• innovation
• Sasanian
• Islamic

Licence

• https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/03a38d61-dc86-496f-bd99-749af1aeecf9/download
• http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved

DOI dc:identifier.doi

https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.120503

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/387896