Silver recycling in the Viking Age: Theoretical and analytical approaches

The recycling (remelting) of precious metals is commonly seen as a major impediment in provenancing studies. Yet in cases where known silver sources are both limited and geochemically well-characterized, there are opportunities to evaluate silver flows at different temporal and geographical scales. Here, we provide a theoretical and analytical framework for assessing the impact of precious metal recycling in a historical context in which silver remelting was the norm: Viking Age Scandinavia (c.800–1050 ce). Harnessing new, large-scale, Pb isotope and trace element datasets, we demonstrate the potential for revealing the contribution of Western European and Islamic silver sources to discrete archaeological assemblages and defined coin and artefact groups. We then use chemical markers of change in imported silver to assess the longevity of circulating silver stocks. Rather than acting as a barrier to understanding, recycling provides a lens through which to evaluate long-distance trade networks, the movement of silver and the frequency of recycling events.