Archaeology, Science-Based Archaeology and the Mediterranean Bronze Age Metals Trade: A Contribution to the Debate

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Home All Issues Subscribe RSS Email Alerts Search this journal Advanced Journal Search » Archaeology, Science-Based Archaeology and the Mediterranean Bronze Age Metals Trade: A Contribution to the Debate Noel Gale

Isotrace Laboratory, University of Oxford, UK Abstract The current consensus is outlined about the application of lead isotope analyses to metal provenance studies and to the unravelling of the Mediterranean Bronze Age copper trade, with special reference to copper oxhide ingots. Various misconceptions, especially some of those contained in Knapp (1999, 2000), are corrected. It is shown that there is no need to fall back on hypotheses based upon the Mediterranean-wide mixing/recycling of copper metals to explain the lead isotope characteristics of post-1250 BC copper oxhide ingots, since there is a good isotopic coincidence between these ingots and the Apliki region ore deposits in Cyprus. Weaknesses are exposed in the hypotheses of direct or indirect pooling of Cypriot ores, and of the proposed widespread recycling of metals in a Mediterranean-wide koine, particularly since there is no evidence for a homogeneity of lead isotope composition in artefacts and no tin in the oxhide ingots.

archaeology and science-based archaeology Cyprus lead isotope analysis Mediterranean Bronze Age metals trade recycling Sardinia CiteULike Complore Connotea Delicious Digg Reddit Technorati Twitter What's this?

« Previous | Next Article »Table of Contents This Article doi: 10.1177/146195710100400104 European Journal of Archaeology April 2001 vol. 4 no. 1 113-130 » AbstractFree Full Text (PDF)Free to you References Services Email this article to a colleague Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Similar articles in this journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Load patientINFORMation Citing Articles Load citing article information Citing articles via Scopus Citing articles via Web of Science Citing articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gale, N. Search for related content Related Content Load related web page information Share CiteULike Complore Connotea Delicious Digg Reddit Technorati Twitter What's this?

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