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.

中文翻译：

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维京时代的白银回收：理论和分析方法

贵金属的回收（重熔）通常被视为出处研究的主要障碍。然而，在已知银源有限且地球化学特征良好的情况下，有机会评估不同时间和地理尺度的银流。在这里，我们提供了一个理论和分析框架，用于评估贵金属回收在银重熔是常态的历史背景下的影响：维京时代斯堪的纳维亚半岛（约 0.800-1050 ce）。利用新的大规模 Pb 同位素和微量元素数据集，我们展示了揭示西欧和伊斯兰银资源对离散考古组合以及确定的硬币和人工制品组的贡献的潜力。然后，我们使用进口白银变化的化学标记来评估流通白银库存的寿命。回收不是作为理解的障碍，而是提供了一个评估长途贸易网络、白银流动和回收事件频率的镜头。