The Efficacy of Roman Silver in Iron Age Scotland: An Object Trajectory for Spiral Rings
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the-efficacy-of-roman-silver-in-iron-age-scotland-an-object-trajectory-for-spiral-rings.pdf
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986.31 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (CRC64NVME)
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Resource type
Journal article
Creator (person)
Martin, Jenna
Date published
July 11, 2024
Abstract
This paper uses material efficacy as an analytical position to consider how silver helped to shape large-scale historical trajectories in Iron Age Scotland. Roman silver entered Scotland as imperial matter beginning in the first century and later inspired an assemblage of indigenous wearable silver in the fourth–fifth centuries. I investigate the human–silver collaborations involved in the transition from hoarding Roman silver coins to recycling Roman . By tracing the object trajectory of spiral rings, I show how silver's material properties and entanglements played a role in developing Scotland's earliest silver products. Around the fourth century, a diversity of spiral rings was replaced by a specific style of silver spiral finger ring. Silver brought to Iron Age Scotland by the Romans inspired and afforded individuals in northern Britain a new and empowering regional socio-political identity. Material efficacy, as explored in this case study, has relevance beyond Iron Age/Roman studies to any anthropological investigation of underrepresented human agency.
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies | Einaudi Center Travel Grant |
Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies | Institute for European Studies Graduate Research G |
Archaeological Institute of America | Elizabeth Bartman Museum Internship Grant |
Journal title
Cambridge Archaeological Journal
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
ISSN
0959-7743
eISSN
1474-0540
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In Copyright
Additional information
Full text available via the official URL