A lock ring, also spelled lock-ring, is a late

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

penannular (incomplete ring) hair ornament. Typically in gold, the intricate, decorative jewellery is recognized for its highly skilled workmanship. The name is derived from its suggested use as a hair fastener. Lock rings most likely originated in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

in the mid-eighth century B.C. They continued to be manufactured in Ireland, primarily in the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( or archaic ') is the major river on the island of Ireland, and at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of I ...

area into the seventh century B.C. Lock rings from the late Bronze Age have also been found in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Description

A lock ring is a hollow, penannular metal ornament with a central opening. The ring consists of a triangular cross-section, closed with a binding-strip. The ring was typically constructed from four pieces: a split metal tube, two gapped triangular shaped face-plates and a circular binding strip. Most lock rings are made in gold, although some rings are crafted in bronze or composite materials. Bronze lock rings are primarily found in France, and were generally manufactured locally. The face-plates are plain or decorated with concentric lines,

hatching Hatching () is an artistic technique used to create tonal or shading effects by drawing (or painting or scribing) closely spaced parallel lines. When lines are placed at an angle to one another, it is called cross-hatching. Hatching is als ...

or triangles. Many of the face-plates are made from sheet gold, a small number have been made from individual gold wires soldered together. The outer edge of the face-plates are typically held together by a binding strip made of the same material as the face-plate. The diameter of the ornament varies from 18mm to 100mm.

History

The late Bronze Age gold ornaments known as 'lock rings' were first recognized by archaeologists in the mid-19th century. They were described in scholarly publications as 'objects of unknown use', 'bullae', 'hair pendants', 'double-conical beads', 'hair-rings' and 'lock-rings'. The lock ring most likely originated in Ireland by the middle of the eighth century B.C. and continued to be produced in Ireland into the seventh century B.C. Several lock rings, along with other highly crafted gold objects, have been found in the

area in Ireland, in north

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

. The distribution of lock rings is divided into four major geographical groups: Ireland, North Britain, South Britain and France. Distribution of lock-rings outside of Ireland occurred by two different routes: northwards to

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and northeast

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and Scotland, and south-eastwards to southeast England. The lock rings found in Europe were concentrated in northwestern France. During the late Bronze Age, finely made gold objects were important items of status and wealth. They are of particular interest to scholars because of the intricacy and skilled workmanship used by Bronze Age goldsmiths. According to archaeologist, George Eogan, "Like the gold bar torcs of an earlier phase, the lock-rings demonstrate the innovating tendency of the goldsmith, and the strength of the insular, especially the Irish, late Bronze age industry during its mature and final phase."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lock ring Archaeological artefact types Bronze Age art Rings (jewellery) Jewellery Hairdressing Ancient art in metal

Description

History

See also

References