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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Fossilized Bronze, Invisible Bronze

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description

The systematic field surveys carried out since the beginning of the 2000s around the fortified site of the Camp du Château at Salins-les-Bains (Jura, France) have led to the discovery of 74 Bronze Age hoards, a density rarely observed in France. Dating from the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age, this dataset is unique as it provides detailed information on the composition of the hoards and their distribution within a defined territorial and chronological framework.These hoards are mainly made up of fragments, as around 90% of the objects are broken. This is deliberate and seems to correspond to a codified ritual of destruction which could be related to the notion of pars pro toto. The objects found in the hoards were taken out of circulation, specifically for hoarding, while the rest was probably recycled. Only a tiny fraction of the metal in use was thus “fossilized”.Although the quantity of metal consumed cannot be directly estimated through these finds, the variations over time in the practice of hoarding are perhaps the key in reading the variability in how bronze was used by the population. Bz D2-Ha A1 hoards contain more diverse and more highly fragmented objects that appear to place a greater emphasis on the social value and the symbolism of the hoarded bronzes. The percentage of bronze redirected to the production network is undoubtedly much greater, suggesting a much higher metal consumption. From a spatial point of view, it is tempting to link the hoards’ distribution to land use and settlement patterns although settlements and funerary contexts are lacking around Salins. Bz C2-D1 hoards are organized around the reculée of Salins, marking the borders of agricultural land belonging to farms or hamlets. The small groups of hoards undoubtedly represent small and dispersed communities, with a limited economic capacity. However, hoards dating to Bz D2-Ha A1 show a collective and more centralized practice, which perhaps reflects profound changes in the spatial organization of the land.