Silver hoards and society on Viking-Age Gotland

Silver recycling in the Viking Age: Theoretical and analytical approaches

“…The only requirement for this process is that the metal to be reformed is equal in size to or larger than the desired product, is in a compatible form, and that the alloy is correct, possessing the necessary qualities such as malleability, ductility, softness/hardness and fineness. Such processes are encapsulated in the hammering of cast bar ingots into arm‐rings: a prerequisite stage of manufacture for all such products (Sheehan, 2009 , 68–9); the piercing of coins for use as necklace ornaments (Audy, 2018 ); and the rolling of dirhams (Islamic silver coins) into beads (Kilger, 2008 , 317). By definition, such modifications must be visually recognizable; indeed, in many instances, such as the production of arm‐rings from ingots, the original form of the silver becomes obsolete, obscuring the process of object transformation.…”

“…However, while an Eastern source for their silver seems likely, the exact origin(s) remains uncertain. One hypothesis is that the rings were made from recycled North African dirhams, which are common inclusions in Russian hoards from the first decades of the ninth century (Kilger, 2008 , 214; Noonan, 1980 , 421, 423). Another is that Oriental vessels imported into Russia from Central Asian served as raw material, alongside Islamic dirhams (Hårdh, 2016 , 35–37).…”