Journal article

The scale of dirham imports to the Baltic in the ninth century: new evidence from archaeometric analyses of early Viking-Age silver

Abstract:: We present a high precision, minimally-destructive geochemical (lead isotope and trace element) analysis of nine cast silver items from early Viking-Age hoards from the Baltic. Comparing the data to a large reference dataset comprising Islamic dirhams and ninth-century Western European silver, we find that the artefacts were cast chiefly from recycled Islamic silver. Isotopic modelling reveals, further, that the Islamic silver derives from a stock that entered the central Baltic in the first half of the ninth century. This period has traditionally been characterised as one of low-level dirham import, before the escalation of the dirham trade from c. AD 860/70. Our results suggest instead that dirhams entered the central Baltic in significant numbers before c. 850, but were routinely melted down for casting into artefacts. This has two important implications. First, it suggests that the early ninth-century Baltic economy was more closely coupled to Eurasian trade networks than current appreciated. Second, it calls into question the reliance on extant dirhams as a guide to Scandinavia’s engagement in long-distance trade routes.

Publication status:: Published

Peer review status:: Peer reviewed

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APA Style

Kershaw, J., Merkel, S. W., Oravisjärvi, J., Kooijman, E., & Kielman-Schmitt, M. (2021). The scale of dirham imports to the Baltic in the ninth century: new evidence from archaeometric analyses of early Viking-Age silver. Fornvännen, 116(3), 185–204.

MLA Style

Kershaw, J, et al. “The Scale of Dirham Imports to the Baltic in the Ninth Century: New Evidence from Archaeometric Analyses of Early Viking-Age Silver.” Fornvännen, vol. 116, no. 3, 2021, pp. 185–204.

Chicago Style

Kershaw, J, SW Merkel, J Oravisjärvi, E Kooijman, and M Kielman-Schmitt. 2021. “The Scale of Dirham Imports to the Baltic in the Ninth Century: New Evidence from Archaeometric Analyses of Early Viking-Age Silver.” Fornvännen 116 (3): 185–204.
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Files:: Kershaw_et_al_2021_The_scale_of.pdf

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Publication website:: http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1600797&dswid=3921

Authors

+ Kershaw, J More by this author

Institution:: University of Oxford
Division:: SSD
Department:: School of Archaeology
Role:: Author

+ Merkel, SW More by this author

Role:: Author

+ Oravisjärvi, J More by this author

Role:: Author

+ Kooijman, E More by this author

Role:: Author

+ Kielman-Schmitt, M More by this author

Role:: Author

+ European Commission More from this funder

Grant:: 802349

Publisher:: Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
Journal:: Fornvännen More from this journal
Volume:: 116
Issue:: 3
Pages:: 185-204
Publication date:: 2021-10-05
Acceptance date:: 2021-04-09
EISSN:: 1404-9430
ISSN:: 0015-7813

Language:: English
Keywords:: Viking-Age

lead isotopes

FFR

dirhams

Gotland

silver
Pubs id:: 1216047
Local pid:: pubs:1216047
Deposit date:: 2023-06-12
ARK identifier:: ark:/29072/ora_1c0d5d076af74f3da96d91cc31f4a34c

Terms of use

Copyright holder:: Kershaw et al.
Copyright date:: 2021
Rights statement:: © 2021 The Author(s). Open Access: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Licence:: CC Attribution (CC BY)

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