Bronze Age crucibles from the Kastro- Palaia settlement, Volos, Greece – a contradiction of form and function? (Rehren et al. 2013, HistMet 47) (original) (raw)

We present several crucible fragments from Bronze Age contexts in Volos, Greece, linked to a Late Bronze Age (Mycenaean) palace workshop and its predecessor building. Two of the crucibles have side sockets for manipulation, and all are internally fired. Chemical analyses of metallurgical remains from within the crucibles indicate the range of alloy compositions for which they were used, including arsenical copper and tin bronze. Lead isotope ratio analyses point to multiple sources of copper, as would be expected over the extended time period that these fragments represent.