essay

An examination of the structure of copper bells

Excavations at Snaketown, Harold S. Gladwin, Emil W. Haury, E. B. Sayles, Nora Gladwin • (25) • Published In 1965 • Pages: 278-281

By: McLeod, B. H..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document

This is a technical report on the structure of copper bells found in southwestern United States. McLeod believed that the early civilizations in the area did not have the technical knowledge to make casting 1.5 mm thick, the average thickness of the resonator of a bell, without hammering the castings to the requred thinness. A microscopic examination of the structure of the metal was then undertaken, based on samples of six bells from the ruin at Gila Pueblo. This examination,. acording to the author, would prove conclusively whether or not the bells had been cast or hammered into shape. After a detailed exposition on the process of copper casting McLeod was forced to accept the fact that the bells were indeed made by direct castings. In conclusion he says 'there is no doubt now in my mind that the bells werre mde from molten copper, and one can only admire the patience and the technique that was required to develop any process that would give as perfect a product as is represented by some of the bells which have been found' (p. 281).

SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF

Laboratory analysis of materials other than dating methods in archaeology

Metallurgy

Experimental data

traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)

Hohokam

HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document

2010

RegionThe area the document pertains to

North America

Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region

Southwest and Basin

Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs

essay

Evaluation

Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.

Technical Personnel

Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.

5: Excellent Primary Data

AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection

John Beierle; 2009

Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document

no date

Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to

not specified

Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)

southwestern United States

NotesAdditional notes

By B. H. McLeod

LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number

65023304

LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings

Hohokam culture

Excavations (Archaeology)--Arizona--Snaketown

Snaketown Site (Ariz.)