Ancient Metallurgy Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

English:
A late-Hellenistic production site was found at the eastern stoa of the agora of Kos. The presence of destroyed fire-structures indicates pyrotechnological processes, related to pigment manufacture and metallurgy. Pigment production included the treatment of natural earths and the manufacture of the artificial material Egyptian blue. Among the excavation’s finds were hollow tubular litharge rods, amorphous lead lumps and drops, and a small quantity of silver, which point to lead production and silver separation through cupellation. The co-existence of the two separate manufacturing activities at the same site may have been beneficial in supplying the workshop with raw materials and fuel. The strategic location of the production site in the commercial centre of the ancient town, with its connection to the port, would have facilitated trade. The production debris from the Koan site underlines the relationship between pigment manufacture and metallurgy.
Italian:
Un sito produttivo risalente all’età tardo ellenistica fu messo in luce nel settore orientale dell’agorà di Kos. Resti di fornaci, pur se scarsamente conservate, testimoniano processi piro-tecnologici relativi alla metallurgia e alla manifattura di pigmenti. La produzione dei pigmenti includeva il trattamento di terre colorate e la manifattura del blu egizio, un pigmento artificiale. Alcuni tra i materiali rinvenuti nel sito (barre tubolari di litargirio, masse amorfe e gocce di piombo, e residui d’argento) indicano la produzione di piombo e la separazione dell’argento tramite coppellazione. La compresenza delle due diverse attività manifatturiere nello stesso impianto artigianale potrebbe essere stata vantaggiosa in termini di approvvigionamento di materie prime e combustibile. La posizione strategica della manifattura, situata nel centro commerciale della città antica e interconnessa con il porto, avrebbe facilitato la commercializzazione dei prodotti. Gli scarti produttivi suggeriscono una relazione tra la produzione di pigmenti e la metallurgia.

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- Ancient Metallurgy, Hellenistic archaeology, Ancient Pigments Analysis, Cupellation

A history of research of the Bronze Age Tell Settlement at Pecica 'Santul Mare'

- by Ana Deac (Ignat) and +1
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- Prehistoric Archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Prehistoric Settlement, Balkan prehistory
- by Brigitte Cech
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- Ancient Metallurgy

Use-wear and residue analyses have come to play a fundamental role in archaeological enquiries into the cultural biographies of past artefacts. Deployed either separately or in conjunction with one another, they have been turned by three generations of researchers into core scientific methods for understanding the behavioural and social interactions of prehistoric communities. In the last few years, a concerted effort has been made to improve and standardise research procedures in the two disciplines through explicit replication strategies, rigorous analytical and experimental protocols, and blind testing. This has ensured a degree of disciplinary maturity that, when successfully contextualised, can be harnessed to reach some of the highest dangling fruits of the interpretative tree and develop new explanatory models for past human behaviour. The session invites specialists in world prehistory to present their inter-and cross-disciplinary research into primate and human archaeology from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Metal Ages. It aims to explore socially contextualised problems, in which use-wear and residue analysis (on any materials and artefacts) are deployed as part of a wider range of integrated research approaches. The papers will discuss broad questions concerning the human past including the making of the mind in both primate and human evolution, technological changes and technological choices, interaction between and within communities of practice, skill, and acculturation (or lack thereof) following technology transfer. A parallel poster session will host contributions with narrower and more method-oriented foci.

- by Anđa Petrović and +1
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- Mesolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Use Wear Analysis, Residue and Use-Wear Analysis

The notion of the change caused by smelting and melting technology during the 5th and 4th Millennium in the
Levant is not well understood. Chronological errors and socio-economic misconceptions have been shrouding a clear
view on the sequence of events and their interregional consequences. Surprisingly complex metallurgy started already in
the middle of the 5th Millennium BC and caused changes in social distinction, exchange systems and ideology. Other
technologies were not directly affected, but on the contrary, lithic technique and ceramic styles show great elaboration.
In a comparative approach the archaeological record of the Levant is compared to that of Southeastern Europe, and
several structural similarities are discussed. It is argued, that the chronological parallelism is an argument against an
autochthonous technical evaluation of the Balkan Peninsula, and that the social systems of both areas must have had
similarities, which made the new cast metal artefacts very attractive.

В отходах пирометаллургического производства меди накоплено значительное количество отвальных шлаков. Даже при среднем содержании меди в них 0,30–0,80 %, видно, что потери металлы
составляет значительных. В этой связи задача создания рациональной и комплексной технологии переработки шлаков и промпродуктов медного производства является весьма актуальной. В статье рассмотрен инновационный метод снижения потерь меди со шлаком. Для проведения этого исследования
использованы восстановительно-сульфидирующих комплексы (ВСК), состоящие из клинкеров цинкового производства и хвостов обогатительных фабрик АГМК. Полученные результаты показывает, что внедрение данной технологии в промышленность позволит повысить комплексности использование сырья.

- by Florian Tereygeol
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- Medieval Archaeology, Archaeology of Mining, Ancient Metallurgy

Il contributo presenta le osservazioni conclusive in merito alle attività di produzione del ferro a Populonia, fra il periodo etrusco tardo e la romanizzazione. Il periodo di più intensa produzione, stando ai dati restituiti dalle indagini sul territorio e dagli scavi condotti nel golfo di Baratti, è compreso fra il VI e il II secolo a.C. Fra IV e III secolo le aree prospicienti la spiaggia di Baratti ospitano officine e forge per la produzione di semilavorati. Dopo la seconda guerra punica si apre un'intensa fase di attività di riduzione dei minerali di ferro (ematite) provenienti dall'isola d'Elba. Nella prima metà del I secolo a.C. la produzione metallurgica appare sostanzialmente ridimensionata e circoscritta a pochi, marginali, episodi.

- by Franco Cambi
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- Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Roman History, Landscape Archaeology

Field experiments in copper smelting were carried out in order to test assumptions about the copper production processes employed at the Vilabouly Complex (VC), an Iron Age extraction and production site in central Laos. VC is one of only three primary production sites known in Southeast Asia and appears to be a major copper production and mining locale. Analytical results on the VC assemblage (ores, crucibles, slag fragments and copper alloy objects), along with the geological information, allowed us to generate hypotheses on the smelting process. The identificationof macroscopic layers of matte associated with copper suggests the introduction of sulfidicores during the process. Co-smelting with carbonate ores (likely malachite) and a secondary copper sulfide,chalcocite (Cu2S), seemed to be most likely. Therefore, experimental reconstructions were performed to test this co-smelting of malachite with chalcocite in a one step-process using crucibles based on the archaeo-logical examples as reaction vessels. The experiments produced matte, of different compositions according to the charge used, along with metallic copper and slag. The ratio (1:1) of malachite/chalcocite resulted in products comparable to the Vilabouly Complex evidence and thus strengthens the hypothesis.

- by Melissa cadet and +2
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- Experimental Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Prehistory, Ancient Metallurgy
- by Penny Dransart
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- Archaeology, Iconography, Textiles, History of Textiles
- by Sergey Miniaev
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- Ancient Metallurgy, Xiongnu archaelogy

Cette conférence a permis de présenter le Projet Collectif de Recherche "Le Chablais au second âge du Fer : la nécropole des Léchères à Chens-sur-Léman", qui vise à étudier un ensemble funéraire de La Tène ancienne / moyenne sur la rive méridionale du lac Léman (Haute-Savoie) afin de caractériser les communautés occupant à cette époque les marges nord-orientales du territoire allobroge, par une analyse archéo-anthropologique, paléométallurgique et céramologique.

La zona de Cataluña meridional, y en especial el Priorato, cuenta con algunos datos sobre minería prehistórica y restos metalúrgicos que permiten desarrollar un trabajo de investigación comparativo con otras zonas peninsulares y del occidente de Europa. Aunque ya se realizaron unos primeros análisis de caracterización elemental a algunos materiales de la colección Vilaseca del Museo de Reus dentro del Proyecto de Arqueometalugia de la Península Ibérica (Rovira et alii, 1997 y Martin et alii, 1999) actualmente se esta trabajando en completar la información sobre la potencialidad de su explotación durante la Prehistoria.

- by Carlos Odriozola and +4
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- Mediterranean prehistory, Metallurgy, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Archaeometry

A Roman copper ingot recovered from a wreck
located in the border region of the provinces of
Málaga and Cádiz is presented in the following
contribution. With a diameter of 45 to 53 cm and a
weight of 75.4 kg it is one of the heavier specimens.
Presumably the abbreviation of a name and the
indication of its weight were incised near the rim
of the bottom. Lead isotope and trace element
analysis suggest a provenance not from mines in
southern Hispania, but from the polymetallic ores
of the Catalunya region in northeastern Spain.

- by Peter Rothenhoefer
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- Latin Epigraphy, Archaeometallurgy, Ancient economy, Ancient Metallurgy

El yacimiento fenicio de La Fonteta (Guardamar del Segura, Alicante), gracias sobre todo al descubrimiento de numerosos vertederos metalúrgicos, ha proporcionado abundantes materiales relacionados con la producción de hierro, cobre, cobre/plomo y bronces binarios y ternarios, y probablemente también con la obtención de plomo y de plata. Entre estos restos arqueometalúrgicos hay que destacar por cantidad y variedad un significativo conjunto de toberas, constituido por más de 400 fragmentos. Las piezas documentadas hasta ahora se enmarcan en un arco cronológico que va desde los comienzos del siglo VIII a.C. hasta finales del siglo VII a.C.

- by Martina Renzi
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- Archaeology, Phoenicians, Archaeometallurgy, Ancient Metallurgy

Le ricerche condotte sul Colle Madore, nel cuore della Sicilia centro-occidentale, hanno
messo in luce resti archeologici che documentano uno dei periodi della storia antica dell’isola più interessanti per le grandi trasformazioni culturali conseguenti la colonizzazione greca. La fondazione delle nuove città e il loro rapido sviluppo innestarono in tutta l’isola, dalle coste alle vallate più interne, un irripetibile processo di cambiamenti del tradizionale tessuto indigeno contribuendo a disegnare un rinnovato assetto culturale politico ed economico che inciderà profondamente nella storia siciliana.

- by Monica Chiovaro
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- Archaeology, Sicily (History), Archeologia, Greek Pottery

The article is devoted to significance of metallurgy of bronze, delivering of copper and tin into Aegean and consumption of bronze in Mycenaean centers of the Late Bronze Age. Metallurgy of bronze was vital for the formation and development of Mycenaean society. Excavations of shipwrecks in Uluburun and at Cape Gelidonya showed that Cyprus was the main source of copper supplies to Aegean. However, there were also sources of this metal in Lavrion in Greece, the Taurus Mountains of Anatolia, in Israel and in Sardinia. It was generally believed that Mycenaeans held a monopoly on maritime commerce in the Eastern
Mediterranean but it was not correct. The discoveries in Uluburun and Cape Gelidonya shipwrecks led to conclusion that ships were Near Eastern in origin or perhaps Cypriot. The scale of supplies allows us
to consider it as a real trade in metals. In the mainland Greece, bronze objects were produced in various palace workshops, which are well known from the excavations of Kadmeia - the acropolis of Thebes. Most
of the bronze was involved in the production of offensive and defensive equipment. In the process of analyzing of archaeological material from Thebes and literary sources, the educational function of the objects made of bronze, such as tripods, was also revealed. Bronze object served as a mediator of relations between a man and the past.

In many villages in rural Ethiopia, traditional crafts and specialized production still perform an important function in local economies. In particular, the hereditary role and status of the blacksmith is often subject to strict cultural controls and ritual concerns that shroud his work in mystery. But centuries of multicultural influence and rapid modern change in the Amhara region have threatened the survival of iron working crafts. For how much longer will these and other traditional skills remain relevant here?

- by Mark Anderson
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- African Studies, Anthropology, Ethnography, African History

Recientemente, el periódico Hora 25 ha planteado la necesidad de debatir sobre la pregunta "Bolivia -¿A dónde va nuestra Ciencia y Tecnología?, actuando como moderador el colega Mirko Orgáz [http://hora25.net/content/1000]. Consideramos que abrir un debate sobre el estado en que se encuentra la generación de Ciencia y Tecnología (C&T) en nuestro país es una excelente iniciativa de interés nacional y aquellos que fuimos entrenados en este campo podemos aportar con ideas y propuestas que luego puedan ser adoptadas por los organismos del Gobierno, Universidad y la Empresa nacionales -que al final son los actores principales en este campopara impulsar la generación del conocimiento científico y tecnológico para desarrollar Bolivia.

- by Viktor Klochko
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- Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Ancient Metallurgy

Le titre interrogatif donné à cette contribution renvoie à un constat : l'absence de mention historiographique de dépôt intentionnel et ritualisé d'objets métalliques durant l'âge du Bronze corse. Cette particularité apparaît comme fortement originale au sein du contexte européen et méditerranéen, notamment en rapport aux régions les plus proches (Sardaigne, Toscane, Ligurie, Provence). Cette étonnante vacuité amène à s'interroger sur sa signification et à tenter de déterminer si elle résulte d'une réalité socio-culturelle ou d'une carence archéologique. La réflexion présentée ici se propose, à partir des rares données contextuelles disponibles sur l'île pour les artefacts en bronze, de dresser un bilan sur cette question. L'inventaire des outils et des armes métalliques de l'âge du Bronze insulaire est réduit à 36 individus. On focalisera cette étude sur ceux d'entre eux qui ont été découverts « associés » (haches de Mignataghja, de Monti Barbatu et de Partinellu) afin d'en fournir une grille de lecture contextualisée et débattre sur la notion de dépôt qui pourrait leur être inférée. On conclura par des considérations hypothétiques sur la découverte en milieu humide du poignard de Pancheraccia. Mots-clés Corse, âge du Bronze, dépôt, trouvaille isolée, outils, armes, bronze Abstract The interrogative title given to this contribution refers to an observation: the absence of historiographical mention of intentional and ritualized deposit of metallic objects (hoard) during the Corsican Bronze Age. This particularity appears to be highly original within the European and Mediterranean context, especially in relation to the closest regions (Sardinia, Tuscany, Liguria and Provence). This astonishing emptiness leads to wonder about its significance and to try to determine if it results from a socio-cultural reality or from an archaeological research problem. Based on the rare available contextual data on the island for the bronze artefacts, the reflection presented here proposes an assessment of this question. The inventory of Bronze Age tools and metallic weapons is reduced to 36 artefacts. This study will be focused on those who were discovered "associated" (axes of Mignataghja, Monti Barbatu and Partinellu) in order to provide a contextualized reading grid and discuss the notion of hoard that could be inferred. We will conclude with hypothetical considerations on the wet context discovery of the Pancheraccia dagger.

What we know about bronze age metalworking basically relies on finished artifacts and on stone, clay or bronze implements involved in the process of manufacturing (tuyères, crucibles, moulds, hammers, chisels, etc.).
Moreover, evidences of structures for casting are extremely poor, at least in Italy, likely because of a lack of extensive excavations and the difficulty to clearly distinguish them from other kinds of firing structures, in absence of metalworking residuals.
The reconstruction of the whole technology of production therefore requires a strong effort of making and testing hypothesis, referring not only on autoptic observations on archaeological finds, but also on archaeometrical analysis and study of landscape, in order to identify possible sources of supply of raw materials.
In this work our aim is to deepen some aspects concerning archaeologically “visible” (stone mould production and casting), and “invisible” techniques (sword production) of metalworking in bronze age Italy, focussing on terramare area.

- by Luca Pellegrini and +3
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- Experimental Archaeology, Metallurgy, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Bronze Age (Archaeology)

The article presents chosen aspects of foundry engineering of the settlement dwellers, including the archaeometric characteristics and metal science analysis of the artefacts, as well as an attempted reconstruction of the production organization. Discovered in Szczepidło (Greater Poland), the foundry workshop is unique in Central European Bronze Age. This workshop foundry operated roughly XIV-XII Century BC. Its production is evidenced by the presence of markers of the whole production cycle: semi-finished and finished products, production waste, fragments of crucibles and casting ladles with traces of usage, and tools. On this basis the alloys and foundry technologies used have been described. The analysis of foundry technology of copper alloys in the settlement area was carried out by observing the surface and structure of the products, semi-finished artefacts and fragments of crucibles by applying optical microscopy (OM), confocal microscopy (CLSM) and X-ray radiography (RT). The investigations of compositions were made by means of the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDS).

- by Aldona Garbacz-Klempka and +1
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- Prehistoric Archaeology, Microstructure, Metallurgy, Scanning Electron Microscopy

Si tratta della bozza del testo, nel file sono presenti alcuni refusi ed errori di formattazione che sono stati corretti in fase di pubblicazione. Mancano inoltre i ringraziamenti a tutte le persone che in varie forme hanno collaborato al... more

- by yuri godino
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- Experimental Archaeology, Metallurgy, Ancient Metallurgy, Archeologia medievale

En los estudios sobre metalurgia prehispánica, es importante el análisis integral de lascaracterísticas de las piezas, como su forma y función, la tecnología, la iconografía, para definir los conjuntos orfebres de regiones particulares, y realizar paulatinamente estudios comparativos. No sobra recalcar la importancia de la búsqueda de contextos arqueológicos, de fundamental importancia, no sólo para lograr la ubicación cultural y cronológica de las piezas, sino también para contextualizar tipos de objetos que expresen funciones distintas.

- by Ana María Falchetti
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- Ancient Metallurgy
- by Sarah Laursen
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- Ancient History, Sinology, History of Costume, Silk Road Studies

Bronze finds from the apse of the early Christian basilica, atop of which was built Saint Sophia’s church in Thessaloniki, are presented and discussed. Namely, a hammered cross-shaped, bronze polycandelon with three of its original glass lamps, and a monumental cast bronze
arch decorated with a wine scroll stemming from a kantharos vessel, and the last part of the dedicatory inscription, “ἀνέθετο”. The arch was probably decorating a ciborium over the Holy Table or a reliquary, or the entrance of the chancel screen, over which was probably set the polycandelon. The church was destroyed by an earthquake and the precious bronze finds were not recovered, as were not recovered the massive bronze polycandelon chains which had been found at the middle of the church’s central nave in older excavations. The finds present the most important surviving works of the local metalworking trade of the late 5th or 6th c.

The work is devoted to studying of one of the basic problems of the early metal age — ancient non-ferrous metal working with the population of the south Low Urals basin (late IVth — IIIrd millennium B.C.), and to the investigation of metal industry with Sintashta tribes of the south High Urals basin of the early IInd millennium B.S. Use of an integrated approach while studying archaeological materials, with regard to the data of atomic-emission, spectrometric, and metallographic analyses, together with a typological and morphological description of the copper and bronze inventory of Yam and Sintashta cultures, allowed to reveal certain features regarding methods of non-ferrous metal working in ancient centres of metal indus-try. The paper shows a relationship between production practice and the initial raw material, basic regulari-ties in the development of hearths, determining ways of disseminating technical achievements.
The book is addressed to historians, archaeologists, experts in the field of ancient metallurgy, stu-dents, and to all those interested in the history of ancient tribes in the Urals and West Siberia.

- by A. D . Degtyareva
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- Ancient Metallurgy

This conference was the first occasion on which a collection of papers was presented relating to the then new evidence for Bronze Age copper mining in Britain.
The publication has 22 papers recording the discovery and early work at the Great Orme, excavations and fieldwork at Parys Mountain, Nantyreira, Copa Hill, Mount Gabriel (Ireland) and at the Mitterberg (Austria). There are 4 papers on stone mining tools, 4 papers on firesetting techniques and experiments and other papers on radio-carbon dating, palaeoecological work, copper smelting and on general observations on early mining in Wales.

and the development of human, plant, and animal life. The concordance of cosmological and biological models guides economic, social, and ritual activities. The properties of metals and the symbolism of their combinations and... more

The article addresses the results of the research at the Novotemirsky copper mine in the Chesmensky district of Chelyabinsk region. Exploratory trenches were used to investigate mine dumps during 2017 field season. A fragment of ceramic Bronze Age vessel was found in one of the mine dump trenches at the level of the ancient surface. This allows us to link the beginning of Novotemirsky mine development with the Bronze Age. An ancient mine was discovered on the pit edge. There two vessels of the Kashino early Iron Age archaeological culture were found on the level of the buried soil. The habitat of Kashino
archaeological culture is linked to the forest Trans-Ural area, the Tura and Iset rivers midstream. There are Sarmatian burial grounds (Temir and Novotemirsky-1 burial mounds) located in the close proximity to the mine. The chronology of the Sarmatian sites and Kashino culture allows us to synchronize the existence of the burial grounds with the development of the mine, and therefore, raise the question of the nature of the relationship between the Sarmatians and the newcomers. The appearance of Kashino culture peoples in the steppe zone of Southern
Trans-Urals on the Sarmatians’ territory can bring out new interaction aspects of the forest and steppe populations in mining and metallurgy industries.

- by Polina Ankusheva and +2
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- Late Bronze Age archaeology, Iron Age, Ancient Metallurgy, Sarmatians

This article brings light to traditional technique of bronze casting through generation to
generation in Tamil Nadu with the help of literary source and practical knowledge. Bronze manufacture
shows a remarkable degree of continuity in Tamil Nadu. The technique followed in the bronze casting is
known as Cire‐Perdue or lost‐wax process. This technique is following still today by traditional bronze
sculptor known as Sthapathi.

- by Udaya kumar
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- Ancient Metallurgy

(in: Experimentelle Archäologie in Europa 16 – Jahrbuch 2017, pp. 25-44)
In order to review the hardening properties during cold-forging and recrystallization through annealing and subsequent quenching, seven non-ferrous alloys were produced following ancient examples. The small flat blanks were uniformly forged and annealed and during all working steps the Brinell hardness was measured. The results were graphically plotted and compared with observations from archaeological, archaeometrical, historical and modern specialist literature, iconographical presentations and field studies. In the outlook the results are assessed.

- by Alex R. Furger
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- Archaeometallurgy, Ancient Metallurgy, Non-ferrous metals, Annealing
- by Frederik Rademakers and +1
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- Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology, Archaeometallurgy, Ancient Technology (Archaeology)

Riassunto: Il contributo verte su tre signacula bronzei rinvenuti a Menorca e Mallorca. L'analisi paleografica ed onomastica così come considerazioni sul testo epigrafico in parte anche simbolico consentono nuove considerazioni circa l'ambito d'uso e la cronologia dei pezzi. Abstract: The contribution focuses on three bronze signacula from Menorca and Mallorca. The palaeographic and onomastics analysis as well as considerations on the epigraphic text partly symbolic allow new considerations about the scope of use and the chronology of the pieces.

- by Giulia Baratta
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- History, Ancient History, Cultural History, Economic History

The subject of this PhD thesis is the study of ancient metallurgical crucible assemblages, with a particular focus on the methodological framework for such studies. This is approached through three case studies from the eastern... more

- by Frederik Rademakers
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- Archaeometallurgy, Ancient Metallurgy