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Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines

Kasia Szpakowska, Richard Johnston Orcid Logo

Mummies, Magic and Medicine, Pages: 459 - 473

Swansea University Author: Richard Johnston Orcid Logo

Abstract

Clay figurines of rearing cobras have been found in Late Bronze Age settlements in Ancient Egypt and the Levant. Their fabric, manufacture, style, breakage patterns, and context provide clues to their original use as votives, divine avatars, components of spells, or apotropaic devices to ward away d...

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Published in: Mummies, Magic and Medicine
ISBN: 978-1-7849-9243-9
Published: Manchester University Press 2016
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa21236
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fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2017-07-11T13:31:47.2638805</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>21236</id><entry>2015-05-07</entry><title>Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>23282e7acce87dd926b8a62ae410a393</sid><ORCID>0000-0003-1977-6418</ORCID><firstname>Richard</firstname><surname>Johnston</surname><name>Richard Johnston</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2015-05-07</date><deptcode>MTLS</deptcode><abstract>Clay figurines of rearing cobras have been found in Late Bronze Age settlements in Ancient Egypt and the Levant. Their fabric, manufacture, style, breakage patterns, and context provide clues to their original use as votives, divine avatars, components of spells, or apotropaic devices to ward away demons. A series of experiental and experimental events were held to explore if they could add value to our understanding of the figurines. This paper focuses on two of these: a workshop on making figurines and fracture experiments performed on replica figurines.Because most of the figurines have been found fragmented, it could be suggested that this was the result of ritual as opposed to accidental breakage. However, no experiments have ever been carried out on figurines such as these to establish whether the cause of the breakage can be ascertained with any degree of certainty. This project aimed to replicate different destruction methods to reveal any recognizable fracture patterns. A professional potter produced the replicas by hand while controlled tests were performed by engineers and machinery at the Materials Research Centre at Swansea University. Modern technology such as high speed cameras were used to record the process and laser scanners were employed to see if in the future, the tests could be reproduced without the need for physical breakage.</abstract><type>Book chapter</type><journal>Mummies, Magic and Medicine</journal><paginationStart>459</paginationStart><paginationEnd>473</paginationEnd><publisher>Manchester University Press</publisher><isbnPrint>978-1-7849-9243-9</isbnPrint><keywords>Experimental archaeology, Figurines, Breakage patterns, Ritual Archaeology of religion, Snake, Ceramic technology,</keywords><publishedDay>1</publishedDay><publishedMonth>6</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2016</publishedYear><publishedDate>2016-06-01</publishedDate><doi/><url/><notes>2017: This work applies materials science methodologies to modern experimental archaeology, investigating the fracture of ancient Egyptian figurines. This is significant because previous research on these ancient artifacts has relied on a supposition that straight fractures infer ritual or intentional breakage. This is the first study to apply the scientific method to this question, providing new insights into an important part of the self-identity and ethnicity of ancient Egyptians.</notes><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Materials Science and Engineering</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>MTLS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm/><lastEdited>2017-07-11T13:31:47.2638805</lastEdited><Created>2015-05-07T16:52:59.8259178</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Kasia</firstname><surname>Szpakowska</surname><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Richard</firstname><surname>Johnston</surname><orcid>0000-0003-1977-6418</orcid><order>2</order></author></authors><documents/><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2017-07-11T13:31:47.2638805 v2 21236 2015-05-07 Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines 23282e7acce87dd926b8a62ae410a393 0000-0003-1977-6418 Richard Johnston Richard Johnston true false 2015-05-07 MTLS Clay figurines of rearing cobras have been found in Late Bronze Age settlements in Ancient Egypt and the Levant. Their fabric, manufacture, style, breakage patterns, and context provide clues to their original use as votives, divine avatars, components of spells, or apotropaic devices to ward away demons. A series of experiental and experimental events were held to explore if they could add value to our understanding of the figurines. This paper focuses on two of these: a workshop on making figurines and fracture experiments performed on replica figurines.Because most of the figurines have been found fragmented, it could be suggested that this was the result of ritual as opposed to accidental breakage. However, no experiments have ever been carried out on figurines such as these to establish whether the cause of the breakage can be ascertained with any degree of certainty. This project aimed to replicate different destruction methods to reveal any recognizable fracture patterns. A professional potter produced the replicas by hand while controlled tests were performed by engineers and machinery at the Materials Research Centre at Swansea University. Modern technology such as high speed cameras were used to record the process and laser scanners were employed to see if in the future, the tests could be reproduced without the need for physical breakage. Book chapter Mummies, Magic and Medicine 459 473 Manchester University Press 978-1-7849-9243-9 Experimental archaeology, Figurines, Breakage patterns, Ritual Archaeology of religion, Snake, Ceramic technology, 1 6 2016 2016-06-01 2017: This work applies materials science methodologies to modern experimental archaeology, investigating the fracture of ancient Egyptian figurines. This is significant because previous research on these ancient artifacts has relied on a supposition that straight fractures infer ritual or intentional breakage. This is the first study to apply the scientific method to this question, providing new insights into an important part of the self-identity and ethnicity of ancient Egyptians. COLLEGE NANME Materials Science and Engineering COLLEGE CODE MTLS Swansea University 2017-07-11T13:31:47.2638805 2015-05-07T16:52:59.8259178 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering Kasia Szpakowska 1 Richard Johnston 0000-0003-1977-6418 2
title Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines
spellingShingle Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines
Richard Johnston
title_short Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines
title_full Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines
title_fullStr Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines
title_full_unstemmed Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines
title_sort Snake Busters: Pilot Experiments in making and breaking ritual figurines
author_id_str_mv 23282e7acce87dd926b8a62ae410a393
author_id_fullname_str_mv 23282e7acce87dd926b8a62ae410a393_***_Richard Johnston
author Richard Johnston
author2 Kasia Szpakowska
Richard Johnston
format Book chapter
container_title Mummies, Magic and Medicine
container_start_page 459
publishDate 2016
institution Swansea University
isbn 978-1-7849-9243-9
publisher Manchester University Press
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering
document_store_str 0
active_str 0
description Clay figurines of rearing cobras have been found in Late Bronze Age settlements in Ancient Egypt and the Levant. Their fabric, manufacture, style, breakage patterns, and context provide clues to their original use as votives, divine avatars, components of spells, or apotropaic devices to ward away demons. A series of experiental and experimental events were held to explore if they could add value to our understanding of the figurines. This paper focuses on two of these: a workshop on making figurines and fracture experiments performed on replica figurines.Because most of the figurines have been found fragmented, it could be suggested that this was the result of ritual as opposed to accidental breakage. However, no experiments have ever been carried out on figurines such as these to establish whether the cause of the breakage can be ascertained with any degree of certainty. This project aimed to replicate different destruction methods to reveal any recognizable fracture patterns. A professional potter produced the replicas by hand while controlled tests were performed by engineers and machinery at the Materials Research Centre at Swansea University. Modern technology such as high speed cameras were used to record the process and laser scanners were employed to see if in the future, the tests could be reproduced without the need for physical breakage.
published_date 2016-06-01T03:25:08Z
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score 11.017797

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