The repair of ceramic by lead splints: the experiment carried out on dolium
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The repair of ceramics in antiquity was largely based on the use of lead. The most frequent solution to limit the aggravation of cracks, both on tableware and on large containers (jar, dolia), was the application of one or more splints made of this metal. Discovered in excavation, these small objects are often separated from their support by the complete breakage of the container, but remain easily recognisable, even in the state of fragments. However, identifying the manufacturing process for this type of reinforcement raises questions about the method and determination of the material used. The principles of this repair technique are based on the observation of well preserved archaeological objects. The collections of the Ruscino oppidum (Château-Roussillon, Perpignan) offer numerous examples of splints of all sizes that allow us to undertake this approach. To initiate this approach, the experiment focuses on the large splints found on dolia. The lead casting tests we present, carried out with various endemic plant species, are intended to compare negative plant stems to the imprints preserved on the splints of the dolia. Based on the most probable hypothesis that we retain, the use of cane type Poacée allowed us to reproduce splints identical to archaeological specimens.
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