Craft production of large quantities of metal artifacts at the beginnings of industrialization: Application of SEM-EDS and multivariate analysis on sheathing tacks from a British transport sunk in 1813

Abstract

In June 1813, several ships from a combined fleet that unsuccessfully tried to liberate Tarragona from Napoleonic forces ran aground in the Ebro Delta (Catalonia coast, Spain). One, a British transport is currently the subject of research by the Catalan Centre for Underwater Archeology (Centre d'Arqueologia Subaquàtica de Catalunya). During the excavations at the stern area of the ship, hundreds of unused sheathing tacks were recovered, among other items of the cargo. A sample of these artifacts was subjected to characterization by means of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Based on the multivariate statistical analysis of the data obtained, an evaluation of the production of large quantities of artifacts was performed. The emphasis was on the control of chemical composition, thus providing novel information about the persistence of craft practices within the context of the remarkable growth at the beginnings of industrialization.