This study characterizes the bronze jewellery recovered from the Lusatian culture urn-field in Mała Kępa (Chełmno land, Poland). Among
many common ornaments (e.g. necklaces, rings, pins) the ones giving evidence of a steppe-styled inspiration (nail earrings) were also
identified. With the dendritic microstructures revealed, the nail earrings prove the implementing of a lost-wax casting method, whereas
some of the castings were further subjected to metalworking. The elemental composition indicates the application of two main types of
bronze alloys: Cu-Sn and Cu-Sn-Pb. It has been established that the Lusatian metalworkers were familiar with re-melting the scrap bronze
and made themselves capable of roasting the sulphide-rich ores.
The collection from Mała Kępa has been described in terms of its structure and composition. The investigations were made by means of
the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive
X - ray analysis system (EDS) and optical microscopy (OM). In order to fingerprint an alloy profile of the castings with a special emphasis
on the nail earrings, the data-set (ED-XRF, EDS) was statistically evaluated using multidimensional analyses (FA, DA).
During excavation of the cremation cemetery of urnfield culture in Legnica at Spokojna Street (Lower Silesia, Poland), dated to 1100-700
BC, the largest - so far in Poland – a collection of casting moulds from the Bronze Age was discovered: three moulds for axes casting
made out of stone and five moulds for casting sickles, razors, spearhead and chisels, made out of clay. This archaeological find constituted
fittings of foundrymen’s graves. In order to perform the complete analysis of moulds in respect of their application in the Bronze Age
casting technology analytical methods, as well as, computer aided methods of technological processes were used. Macroscopic
investigations were performed and the X-ray fluorescence spectrometry method was used to analyse the chemical composition and metal
elements content in mould cavities. Moulds were subjected to three-dimensional scanning and due to the reverse engineering the geometry
of castings produced in these moulds were obtained.
The gathered data was used to perform design and research works by means of the MAGMA5
software. Various variants of the pouring
process and alloys solidification in these archaeological moulds were simulated. The obtained results were utilised in the interpretation of
the Bronze Age casting production in stone and clay moulds, with regard to their quality and possibility of casting defects occurrence
being the result of these moulds construction.
The reverse engineering, modelling and computer simulation allowed the analysis of moulds and castings. Investigations of casting moulds
together with their digitalisation and reconstruction of casting technology, confirm the high advancement degree of production processes
in the Bronze Age.