6533b821fe1ef96bd127b09a
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Copper quality and sources in Middle Bronze Age I Byblos and Tell Arqa (Lebanon)
Patrick DegryseZiad El MorrDavid BourgaritYannick LefraisFlorence CattinFlorence Cattinsubject
010506 paleontologyArcheologyProvenanceÂge du bronze Tell Arqa (Liban060102 archaeology[SHS.ARCHEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Archaeology and PrehistoryManufacturing processchemistry.chemical_element06 humanities and the arts01 natural sciencesCopperArchaeologyCopper sulfidechemistry.chemical_compoundGeographychemistryBronze Age0601 history and archaeologyComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS0105 earth and related environmental sciencessite archéologique)description
Abstract Forty-four Middle Bronze Age I weapons discovered at the sites of Byblos and Tell Arqa in Lebanon were investigated in order to study their copper quality and provenance. The evaluation of copper qualities is based on quantifying permanent inclusions such as copper sulfide and lead globules. The provenance of copper was studied using lead isotope analyses. For further discrimination between copper groups and sources elemental analyses by PIXE were performed on some of the weapons investigated. The results revealed two copper groups that could be qualified as “dirty” copper and “clean” copper. The former was used in most of the weapon types whereas the latter was reserved for items made of high-tin bronzes (>11 wt%) which underwent heavy hammering during the manufacturing process. Even though several potential copper sources were identified, the data point to Iran and Oman as the most probable areas of origin for the metal used in these weapons. These results contribute to the study of inter-regional exchange networks in the ancient Near East.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-12-01 |