ABSTRACT

This chapter presents some of the benefits of using materials science and investigative conservation techniques in medieval archaeology. In the early Anglo-Saxon period mixed copper alloys containing variable amounts of tin, zinc and lead were the norm in England but in the Celtic West bronze reigned supreme. Scientific analyses have also thrown light on the composition of medieval glass, explaining its very variable state of preservation. A variety of techniques can be used to identify the method of manufacture or the geographical origin of the clay. The main contribution of scientific techniques to the study of craft and industrial assemblages is the positive identification of specific processes. The scientific techniques have the potential to date objects, identify imports and traded materials or artefacts, understand the complexities of the technical processes used by medieval craftsmen, and indicate the quality and status of their products.