Archaeological Gold and silver bibliography

I did some work for the Portable Antiquities Scheme in the early 2010s, looking at some lovely gold and silver jewellery. It’s surprisingly difficult to find published articles on gold, presumably because it is a) too expensive and precious to let some grubby archaeologist near and b) pretty unreactive, so not prone to developing the corrosion that usually encourages museum curators to let scientists cut into or scrape away at their objects! Last updated c.2012.

Silver

Howgego, C., 2009. Some numismatic approaches to quantifying the Roman economy. In A. Bowman & A. Wilson, eds. Quantifying the Roman Economy: Methods and Problems. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 287–95.

Kobata, A., 1965. The production and uses of gold and silver in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Japan. The Economic History Review, 18(2), pp.345–266.

Korlin, G. & Gechter, M., 2003. Romischer Bergbau auf dem Luderich Vorbericht Ober die Grabungen 2000-2002. In T. Stollner et al., eds. Man and Mining – Mensch und Bergbau: Studies in honour of Gerd Weisgerber on occasion of his 65th birthday. Bochum, pp. 237–48.

Lang, J. & Hughes, M.J., 2010. Soldering Roman silver plate. Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 3(3), pp.77–107.
Oddy, A., 1983. Assaying in antiquity. Gold Bulletin, 16(2), pp.52–59.

Painter, K.S., 1977. The Mildenhall treasure: Roman silver from East Anglia, British Museum Publications.

Patterson, C.C., 1971. Native copper, silver and gold accessible to early metallurgists. American Antiquity, 36(3), pp.286–321.

Pense, A.W., 1992. The decline and fall of the roman denarius. Materials Characterization, 29(2), pp.213–222.

Ponting, M., 2009. Roman silver coinage: mints, metallurgy, and production. In A. Bowman & A. Wilson, eds. Quantifying the Roman Economy: Methods and Problems. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 269–280.

Reti, L., 1965. Parting of gold and silver with Nitric acid in a page of the Codex Atlanticus of Leonardo da Vinci. Isis, 56(3), pp.307–319.

Schorsch, D., 2001. Precious-metal polychromy in Egypt in the time of Tutankhamun. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 87, pp.55–71.

Schubiger, P.A., Muller, O. & Gentner, W., 1976. Chemical studies of the Greek silver coins from teh Asyut Hoard. In Archaeometry 1976.

Thompson, C.M., 2003. Sealed silver in Iron Age Cisjordan and the “invention” of coinage. Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 22(1), pp.67–107.

White, S. et al., 1999. A Mid-Fifth Century Hoard of Roman and Pseudo-Roman Material from Patching, West Sussex. Britannia, 30, pp.301–315.

Yener, K.A. & Ozbal, H., 1984. The Bolkardag mining district survey of silver and lead in ancient Anatolia. In Archaeometry 1984. pp. 309–320.

Gold

Altman, J., 1979. Gold in Ancient Palestine: Methods of Fabrication in Succesive Cultures. Gold Bulletin, pp.75–82.

Armbruster, B. & Guerra, M.F., 2012. Annular gold ornaments from western Gaul: Archaeometallurgical aspects of the Lasgraisses ensemble, Tarn, France (3rd century BC). Historical Metallurgy, 46(2), pp.55–65.

Bachmann, H.G. et al., 1999. New Aspects of Celtic Gold Coinage Production in Europe. Gold Bulletin, 32(1), pp.24–29.

Baron, S. et al., 2011. Lead isotope analyses of gold-silver ores from Rosia Montana (Romania): a first step of a metal provenance study of Roman mining activity in Alburnus Maior (Roman Dacia). Journal of Archaeological Science, 38(5), pp.1090–1100.

Bayley, J., 2009. Medieval precious metal refining: archaeology and contemporary texts compared. In M. Martinon-Torres & T. Rehren, eds. Archaeology, history and science: Integrating approaches to ancient materials. Walnut Creek: Left Coast/UCL Institute of Archaeology.

Burnham, B.C., 1994. Dolaucothi revisited. Bulletin of the Peak District Mines Historical Society, 12(3), pp.41–7.

Burnham, B.C., Burnham, H. & Annels, A.E., 2004. Dolaucothi-Pumsaint: survey and excavations at a Roman gold-mining complex, 1987-1999, Oxbow.

Cahill, M., 2006. John Windele’s golden legacy – prehistoric and later gold ornaments from Co. Cork and Co. Waterford. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 106C, pp.219–337.

Cech, B., 2012. A Roman gold mining district in eastern Austria. Historical Metallurgy, 46(2), pp.66–77.

Chapman, M., 1995. Techniques of mercury gilding in the eighteenth century. In Ancient & historic metals: conservation and scientific research. Getty Publications, pp. 229–238.

Cool, H.E.M., 1986. A Romano-British Gold Workshop of the Second Century. Britannia, 17, pp.231–237.

Cowell, M.R. & Hook, D.R., 2010. The analysis of the metal artefacts. In The Hoxne Late Roman Treasure: Gold Jewellery and Silver Plate. London: British Museum Press, pp. 175–183.

Craddock, P.T., 1982. Gold in Antique Copper Alloys. Gold Bulletin, 15(2), pp.69–72.

Craddock, P.T., 2000. King Coesus’ Gold; Excavations at Sardis and the History of Gold Refining, London: British Museum Press.

Dandridge, P., 2000. Idiomatic and mainstream: the technical vocabulary of a Late Roman crossbow fibula. Metropolitan Museum Journal, 35, pp.71–87.

Demortier, G., 1992. Ion beam analysis of gold jewelry. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 64, pp.481–487.

Demortier, G., Terwagne, G. & Morciaux, Y., 1984. Improved performances for PIXE analysis of gold artifacts. In Archaeometry 1984. pp. 225–232.

Eluere, C., 1985. Goldwork of the Iron Age in “Barbarian” Europe. Gold Bulletin, 18(4), pp.144–155.

Eluere, C., 1983. Prehistoric Goldwork in Western Europe. Gold Bulletin, 16(3), pp.82–91.

Fulford, M., Henig, M. & Johns, C., 1987. A late Roman gold finger-ring from Silchester, Hampshire. Britannia, 18, pp.279–281.

Gopher, A. et al., 1990. Earliest gold artifacts in the Levant. Current Anthropology, 31(4), pp.436–443.

Guerra, M.F. & Calligaro, T., 2003. Gold cultural heritage objects: a review of studies of provenance and manufacturing technologies. Measurement Science and Technology, 14, pp.1527–1537.

Hunt, L.B., 1973. The early history of gold plating: a tangled tale of disputed priorities. Gold Bulletin, pp.16–27.

James, T.G.H., 1971. Gold technology in ancient Egypt. Gold Bulletin, pp.38–42.

Jones, R.F.J. & Bird, D.G., 1972. Roman Gold-Mining in North-West Spain, II: Workings on the Rio Duerna. The Journal of Roman Studies, 62, pp.59–74.

Kauffman, G.B., 1985a. The role of gold in alchemy. Part 1. Gold Bulletin, 18(1), pp.31–44.

Kauffman, G.B., 1985b. The role of gold in alchemy. Part II. Gold Bulletin, 18(2), pp.69–78.

Kauffman, G.B., 1985c. The role of gold in alchemy. Part III. Gold Bulletin, 18(3), pp.109–119.

Keir, J., 1790. Experiments and observations on the dissolution of metals in acids, and their precipitations; with an account of a new compound acid menstruum, useful in some technical operations of parting metals. By James Keir, Esq. F.R.S. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 80, pp.359–384.

Kent, J. & Painter, K.S., 1977. Wealth of the Roman world: AD 300-700, Published for the Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Publications.

Kobata, A., 1965. The production and uses of gold and silver in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Japan. The Economic History Review, 18(2), pp.345–266.

Kraut, J.C. & Stern, W.B., 2000. The density of gold-silver-copper alloys and its calculation from the chemical composition. Gold Bulletin, 33(2), pp.52–55.

Lewis, P.R. & Jones, G.D.B., 1970. Roman gold-mining in north-west Spain. Journal of Roman Studies, 60, pp.169–85.

Meeks, N.D. et al., 1994. The scientific study of the refractory remains and gold particles from teh Lydian gold refinery at Sardis. In Archaeometry 1994. pp. 461–482.

Merrit, C., 1677. The art of refining, communicated by Dr. Christopher Merrit. Philosophical Transactions (1665-1678), 12, pp.1046–1052.

Miller, D., Desai, N. & Lee-Thorp, J., 2000. Indigenous gold mining in Southern Africa: A review. Goodwin Series, 8, pp.91–99.

Notton, J.H.F., 1974. Ancient Egyptian gold refining: a reproduction of early techniques. Gold Bulletin, pp.50–56.

Oddy, A., 1983. Assaying in antiquity. Gold Bulletin, 16(2), pp.52–59.

Oddy, A., 1981. Gilding through the ages: an outline history of the process in the Old World. Gold Bulletin, 14(2), pp.75–79.

Oddy, A., 1995. Gold foil, strip, and wire in the Iron Age of Southern Africa. In Ancient & historic metals: conservation and scientific research. Getty Publications, pp. 183–196.

Oddy, W.A., Bimson, M. & Niece, S.L., 1983. The Composition of Niello Decoration on Gold, Silver and Bronze in the Antique and Mediaeval Periods. Studies in Conservation, 28(1), pp.29–35.

Ogden, 1993. Aesthetic and technical considerations regarding the color and texture of ancient goldwork. In S. L. Niece, ed. Metal Plating & Patination; Cultural, technical & historical developments.

Ogden, J., 1995. The technology of medieval jewelry. In Ancient & historic metals: conservation and scientific research. Getty Publications, pp. 153–182.

Ott, D. & Raub, C.J., 1981. Grain size of gold and gold alloys. Gold Bulletin, 14(2), pp.69–74.

Patterson, C.C., 1971. Native copper, silver and gold accessible to early metallurgists. American Antiquity, 36(3), pp.286–321.

Rapson, W.S. & Groenewald, T., 1978. Gold usage, London: Academic Press.

Rehren, T., 1996. Alchemy and fire assay – an analytical approach. Historical Metallurgy, 30(2), pp.136–42.

Rehren, T., 2000. Review Article: Archaeometallurgy – an island? Antiquity, 74, pp.964–967.

Renfrew, C., 1978. Varna and the social context of early metallurgy. Antiquity, 102, pp.199–203.

Reti, L., 1965. Parting of gold and silver with Nitric acid in a page of the Codex Atlanticus of Leonardo da Vinci. Isis, 56(3), pp.307–319.

Riabkina, M. et al., 1984. Grain-refined recrystallized 14-carat gold alloy: effect of small additions of elements in an Au-Ag-Cu-Zn alloy. Gold Bulletin, 17(2), pp.62–29.

Rickard, T.A., 1928. The Mining of the Romans in Spain. The Journal of Roman Studies, 18, pp.129–143.

Roberts, P.M., 1973. Gold brazing in Antiquity: technical achievements in the earliest civilisations. Gold Bulletin, pp.112–119.

Schwahn, C., 1960. Workshop methods for gold-and silversmiths 3rd edition., London: Heywood and Company Ltd.

Tamla, ü & Varkki, H., 2009. Learning the technologies of making beaded wire. Estonian Journal of Archaeology, 13(1), p.36.

Vittori, O., 1979. Pliny the Elder on Gilding: a new interpretation of his comments. Gold Bulletin, pp.35–39.

Wise, P., 1992. A Roman gold ring fro Kinwarton near Alcester, Warwickshire. Britannia, 23, p.254.

Wolters, J., 1981. The ancient craft of granulation: a re-assessment of established concepts. Gold Bulletin, 14(3), pp.119–129.

Wood, R.W., 1934. The purple gold of Tut’ankhamun. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 20(1/2), pp.62–65.