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Non-ferrous and precious metallurgy and metalwork in ancient and historical contexts and their experimental reproduction; engineering metallurgy of the industrial revolution; coinage technology; long-term stability of the microstructure; interaction of buried metal with the environment.

Applications of EBSD in Archaeology
Dr. P.J. Northover, Dr. S. Northover*
Although widely used in metallurgy EBSD has only recently begun to be applied to archaeological metalwork. This project is demonstrating that basic metallographic preparation techniques are sufficient to produce the necessary strain-free surfaces in copper, bronze, silver, and gold. Particular areas of interest are texture, where important results have already been obtained from copper bolts from ships of the early 19th century, deformation, and in the study of precipitation and ageing in silver copper alloys. (*The Open University)

Medieval Islamic mint technology
Dr. P.J. Northover, Dr. L. Treadwell*
In the 10th-12th centuries CE the silver coinage of the Islamic Middle East and Central Asia shows a remarkable variety of combinations of alloy type and mint technology. This project, through detailed microstructural and compositional analysis, will begin to characterise this variety and develop "family trees" for their evolution. (*Ashmolean Museum).

Engineering metallurgy of the 18th and 19th centuries
Dr. P.J. Northover
The engineering of the industrial revolution was constrained by the lack of bulk high strength structural materials, e.g. steel, and by the quality of the available basic materials, notably copper and wrought iron. Continuing research is using surviving material to determine the composition, structure and mechanical properties of copper and wrought iron and their alloys. Associated with this is a study of contemporary documents to show how material properties were understood, measured and described. Particular projects are on material from the USS Monitor with the Mariners' Museum, Newport News VA, and on ships' bolts and sheathing with the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology.

Bronze Age Copper and Tin Ingots
Dr. P.J. Northover, Dr. D. Parham*
Continuing research on the origins, production and trade in Late Bronze Age copper and tin ingots in Britain, focussed on the recently discovered Late Bronze Age shipwreck at Salcombe, Devon. (*University of Bournemouth)

The effects of fingerprints on museum objects
Dr. P.J. Northover, C. Salter, Dr. V. Cheel, D. Stevens*, Dr. G.W. Grime**
In a first stage we have demonstrated that fingerprints rapidly etch polished surfaces of both fine and sterling silver. The next stages are to find a method to remove the corrosion product so that the damage can be measured accurately, and to extend the work to other materials such as bronze and brass. A variety of methods has been used to characterise both the prints and the damage including optical and scanning electron microscopy, infra red microscopy, PIXE and TOF-MeV-SIMS. (*Metals Conservation, Victoria and Albert Museum, **Surrey Ion Beam Centre, University of Surrey)

5 public active projects

2003 G. Marshall and J.P. Northover: The excavation and metallographic analysis of a Bronze Age sword recovered from Ivinghoe Beacon, Record of Buckinghamshire, 43. 27-37

2003 J.P. Northover and B. Gilmour: The metallurgy of artillery in Archaeometallurgy in Europe, unedited proceedings of a conference in Milano, 2003, (Milano: Associazione Italiana di Metallurgia), 253-262

2003 I. Bauer and J.P. Northover: Bronzeschmiede und Bronzeguss auf Zugersee, (Kantonales Museum für Urgeschichte)

2003 J.P. Northover: White metal analysis, in J. McKinley: The early Saxon cemetery at Park Lane, Croydon, Surrey Archaeological Collections, 90, 1-116

2003 J. Mayer and J.P. Northover: A newly acquired Islamic lion door knocker in the David Collection, Jornal of the David Collection, 1, 49-72

2003 J.P. Northover: The bronze dagger from the log coffin: the metal of the dagger, in M. Cressey and A. Sheridan, The excavation of a Bronze Age cemetery at Seafield West, near Inverness, Highland, Proc. Sic. Antiq. Scotland, 133, 58-62

2003 J.P. Northover: The dagger: metallurgical analysis, in I. Baker, An Early Bronze Age ‘dagger grave’ from Rameldry Farm, near Kingskettle, Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scotland, 133, 98-99

2004 J.P. Northover: Analyse der Metallfunde aus Zug-Sumpf, (tr. S. Hämmerle), in I. Bauer, B. Rückstuhl and J. Speck, Der Funde der Grabungen 1923-37: Zug Sumpf, (Zug: Kantonales Museum für Urgeschichte Zug), Bd 3/1, 102-143 and Bd 3/2 A1-A29

2004 D.G. Coombs†, J.P. Northover and J. Maskall: Tower Hill axe hoard, in D. Miles, S. Palmer, G. Lock, C. Gosden and A.M. Crummy, Uffington White Horse and its landscape: investigations at White Horse Hill, Uffington 1989-95 and Tower Hill, Ashbury. 1993-94, (Oxford: Oxford Archaeology, Thames Valley Landscapes Monograph 18), 203-224

2004 J.P. Northover: Metallurgical analysis of the Tower Hill hoard, Appendix 5 in D. Miles, S. Palmer, G. Lock, C. Gosden and A.M. Crummy, Uffington White Horse and its landscape: investigations at White Horse Hill, Uffington 1989-95 and Tower Hill, Ashbury. 1993-94, (Oxford: Oxford Archaeology, Thames Valley Landscapes Monograph 18), 287-298

2004 S. Shalev and J.P. Northover: The bronze hinge of the city-gate door, in D. Ussishkin, The renewed archaeolgical excavations at Lachish (1973-94), (Tel Aviv: Emery and Claire Yass Publications in Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Sonia and Marco nadler Institute of Archaeology Monograph Series, 22), 2089-99

2004 J.P. Northover: Ross Island and the physical metallurgy of the earliest Irish copper, in W. O’Brien, Ross Island: mining, metal and society in early Ireland, (Galway: Department of Archaeology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Bronze Age Studies, 6), 525-538

2004 W. O’Brien, J.P. Northover and S. Stos: Lead isotopes and metal circulation, in W. O’Brien, Ross Island: mining, metal and society in early Ireland, (Galway: Department of Archaeology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Bronze Age Studies, 6), 538-551

2004 R.D. van Arsdell and J.P. Northover: Ancient British Coins, in R. Havis and Howard Brooks, Excavations at Stansted Airport, 1986-91, Vol. I, Prehistoric and Romano-British, (Chelmsford: Heritage Conservation, Essex County Council, East Anglian Archaeology Report 107), 115-120

2004 J.P. Northover: Analyses of copper alloy metalwork from ACS, in R. Havis and Howard Brooks, Excavations at Stansted Airport, 1986-91, Vol. I, Prehistoric and Romano-British, (Chelmsford: Heritage Conservation, Essex County Council, East Anglian Archaeology Report 107), 128-130
2004 J.P. Northover: Analysis of metalwork from DCS, in R. Havis and Howard Brooks, Excavations at Stansted Airport, 1986-91, Vol. I, Prehistoric and Romano-British, (Chelmsford: Heritage Conservation, Essex County Council, East Anglian Archaeology Report 107), 234-238

2004 J.P. Northover: Analysis and metallography of bronze hand, in M. Polak, J. van Doesburg and P.A.M.M. van Kempen, Op zoek naar het the castellum Matilo en het St Margarethakloster te Leiden-Roomburg: Het archaeologisch onderzoek in 1999-200, (Amersfoort: ROB, Rapportage Archaeologische Monumentumzorg 109), 107-111

2005 J.P. Northover: Analysis of Bronze Age metalwork from Vufflens-la-Ville VD, Annex I of F. Mariéthoz, Enquête autor d’un tumulus de l’Âge du Bronze, (Lausanne: Cahiers d’Archéologie Romande, 100), 145-48

2005: J.P. Northover: The Early Bronze Age metalwork, in G. Lambrick and T. Guy, Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire: the development of a prehistoric and Romano-British community, (Oxford: Oxford Archaeology: Thames Valley Landscapes Monograph, 21), 88-90

2005: J.P. Northover: Composition of non-ferrous metalwork of Iron Age and Roman date, in G. Lambrick and T. Guy, Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire: the development of a prehistoric and Romano-British community, (Oxford: Oxford Archaeology: Thames Valley Landscapes Monograph, 21),346-354

2005: J.P. Northover: Metallurgical debris, in G. Lambrick and T. Guy, Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire: the development of a prehistoric and Romano-British community, (Oxford: Oxford Archaeology: Thames Valley Landscapes Monograph, 21),354-57

2006: J.P. Northover: Copper alloy metalwork, in A.M. Cromarty, A. Barclay, G. Lambrick, and M. Robinson, Late Bronze Age ritual and habitation on a Thames Eyot at Whitecross Farm, Wallingford: The archaeology of the Wallingfrod Bypass, 1986-92, (Oxford: Oxford Archaeology Thames Valley landscapes Monograph 22), 47-57

2006: J.P. Northover: Bronze metal waste, in D.D.A Simpson, E.M. Murphy and R.A> Gregory, Excavations at Northton, Isle of Harris, (Oxford: British Archaeological Reports, British Series, 408), 139-140

2006: J.P. Northover: Analysis and metallography of a near east gold amalgam bowl, in H. Born and E. Völling, eds., Gold in Alten Orient, Technik – Naturwissenschaft – Altorientalistik, (Würzburg: Nachrichten aus dem Martin von Wagner Universität – Reihe A, Band 6), 77-84

Northover, J.P. (2006): Analysis and metallography of a Near East gold amalgam bowl, in H. Born and E. Vølling, Gold im Alten Orient: Technik - Naturwissenschaft - Altorientalisitk, (Würzburg: Ergon Verlag), 77-84

Northover, J.P. (2007): The metallurgy of the scabbard, chape and Roman bowl, in P.R. Sealey, A Late Iron Age Warrior Burial from Kelvedon, Essex, (Colchester: Colchester Museums, East Anglian Archaeology, 118), 18-22

Northover, J.P. (2007): Copper in the Industrial Age, in C. Degrigny, ed., Metal07, Vol. 1, When archaeometry and conservation meet, 83-90

Northover, J.P. (2008): Metallurgy of a copper awl, in T.G. Allen and Z. Kamash, Saved from the Grave: Neolithic to Saxon discoveries at Spring Road Municipal Cemetery, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, (Oxford: Oxford Archaeology, Thames Valley Landscape Monograph 28), 54

Northover, J.P. (2008): Alloy choice in Chinese and Islamic forgeries, in E. Pernicka, ed., Original - Copy - Fake, Proceedings of an International Symposium, Stiftung Situation Kunst/Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, 2007, (Mainz: Philipp von Zabern)70-73

Crummy, N., Cherry, J. and Northover, J.P. (2008): The Winchester Moot Horn, Medieval Archaeology, 52, 211-229

Wanhill, R., Hattenberg, T., Northover, J.P. (2008): EBSD of corrosion, deformation and precipitation in the Gundestrup cauldron, in A.C. Ferreiro da Silva and P. Menino Homem, Ligas Metálicas: Investigação e Conservação, (Porto: Faculdade de Letras da Univsidade do Porto), 47-61

Northover, J.P. (2009): Compositional analysis of the lead vessels, in P. Boyer, J. Proctor and R. Taylor-Wilson, On the boundaries of occupation: excavations at Burringham Road, Scunthorpe and Baldwin Avenue, Bottesford, North Lincolnshire, (London: pre-Construct Archaeology Monograph 9), 83

Northover, J.P. and La Niece, S. (2009): New thoughts on niello, in A.J. Shortland, I.C. Freestone and Th. Rehren, eds., From mine to microscope: advances in the study of ancient technology, (Oxford: Oxbow Books), 145-154

Northover, J.P. (2009): Analysis and metallography of copper alloy metalwork, in A. Lippert & P. Stadler, Das spätbronze und frühhallstattzeitliche Gräberfeld von Bischofshofen-Pestfriedhof, (Bonn: Verlag Dr Rudolf Habelt GmbH, Universitätsforschungen zur Prähistorischen Archäologie 168), 351-384

Major, H. and Northover, J.P. (2009):, The pewter jug, in R. Moore, 2009: Ashby Folville to Thurcaston: the archaeology of a leicestershire pipeline, Part 2, The Iron Age and Roman sites, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 83, 50-52

D.Phil. Projects Available

Contact Dr. Northover directly.