In recent years archaeological finds and scientific analyses have provided increasing evidence for a very early beginning of copper production in the rich mining area of the Tyrolean Alps. The earliest findings derive from an excavation of a multi-phase settlement on the Mariahilfbergl in Brixlegg, which revealed evidence that a small amount of fahlores, probably of local provenance, was at least heated if not even smelted there in the Late Neolithic Munchshofen culture (the second half of the fifth millennium BC). However, most copper finds of this horizon consist of low-impurity copper that most probably derives from Majdanpek in Serbia. This long-distance relationship is corroborated by typological features that link some aspects of the Munchshofen culture with the Carpathian basin. Thus it is not yet clear if, at Brixlegg, actual copper production took place or, rather, an experimental treatment of the local ores. The typical fahlore composition, with arsenic and antimony in the per cent and silver and bismuth in the per mille ranges, appears in quantity only in the Early Bronze Age. Many thousands of Osenringe are known from many central European Early Bronze Age sites, with a chemical composition typical of fahlores. At Buchberg near Brixlegg, a fortified settlement with slags from fahlore smelting proves that the local ores were indeed exploited. The lead isotope ratios of Osenringe from the Gammersham hoard in Bavaria, which consist of fahlore copper, confirm this and suggest that copper mining and production in the Inn Valley reached a first climax during that period. In the Late Bronze Age, copper was produced at an almost industrial level.

Prehistoric copper production in the inn valley (austria), and the earliest copper in central europe*

https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00759153/document

Environmental impact of early Basque mining and smelting recorded in a high ash minerogenic peat deposit.

http://www.biblioteca.uma.es/bbldoc/tesisuma/16610829.pdf

Chronocultural sorting of archaeological bronze objects using laser-induced breakdown spectrometry

Archaeometallurgy is one of the earliest manifestations of archaeometric research, using science-based approaches to address cultural-historical questions. This review first outlines the extent of the field, defining in some detail the main branches of archaeometallurgy, and their specific methodological approaches. It then looks at some of the early publications pioneering archaeometallurgical research, to set the scene for the publication pattern of archaeometallurgy in general, and the role that Archaeometry played in publishing archaeometallurgical research. The analysis of archaeometallurgy-themed publications in Archaeometry, their change over time and their relationship to the total range of work done in the field indicates that there is a rather narrowly defined and specific type of archaeometallurgy that gets published in Archaeometry, initially with a strong focus on coin and object analysis, often combined with method developments. The more recent developments in isotope-based studies in archaeometallurgy find only a limited representation in the journal, despite the leading role that the Isotrace Laboratory played in this discipline, for some considerable length of time. More recently, this Archaeometry-specific 'flavour' of archaeometallurgy seems to weaken, with an increase of papers on iron and on primary production in general, subjects still much under-represented.

/pdf/coins-artefacts-and-isotopes-archaeometallurgy-and-as75znagza.pdf

Coins, artefacts and isotopes— archaeometallurgy and archaeometry *

It has long been known that Anatolia (approximately present day
Turkey) participated actively in diverse aspects of metallurgy
from as early as the Neolithic period. This thesis treats various
facets of the metallurgical industry from its outset in the 7th
millennium B.C.to the end of the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2000 B.C.)
It collects together much of the geological data pertaining to
the metalliferous ores of gold, silver, arsenic, and copper. Subjects
also discussed are the methods of mining and smelting. Concomitant
with these is a report on surveys made by the author (under the auspices
of the Turkish Mineral Exploration and Research institute) on
the location of early mining and smelting sites in Turkey. Analyses
of slag and ore are included in the Appendices and Catalogues. The
metalwork itself is presented in Catalogue form, and full reference
is made to all the prehistoric Anatolian metalwork which has been
analyzed.
Based on the above data, the development of the metallurgical
industry as a whole is viewed over the course of 5 millennia. Many
more copper deposits, unknown to archaeologists and historians, are
brought to light i n this study. The presence of these deposits
allows us now to widen our scope of the development of the metallurgical
industry, Instead of seeing it as dependent on a few major
deposits such as Ergani, Murgul and Kastamonu, we can now reserve
the option of offshoots and separate development in different areas
of Anatolia. The metalwork, in fact, suggest this, though it does
not become apparent until EB 11, from when the bulk of our documents
dates. Earlier material is not lacking and does suggest an even more
dispersed series of local metallurgies.. Chalcolithic metallurgies
were probably loosely associated, perhaps by sharing common sources,
but they still appear to have remained culturally distinct. It was
the coming together of the Chalcolithic cultures that provided the
prolific metallurgical development witnessed in EB 11 and EB 111.

The development of prehistoric mining and metallurgy in Anatolia

The elemental composition determination of ancient copper-based artefacts is an important tool to address archaeometallurgical issues, such as the assessment of technological skills and metal circulation in a definite chrono-cultural context. The rise of a new generation of inductively-coupled-plasma atomic-emission spectrometry has led us to reconsider the whole analytical protocol, resulting in significant improvements of the performance: an increased number of elements determined, lower limits of detection and a better reliability were achieved together with a diminishing of sample quantity and time of analysis. The archaeometallurgical studies take full benefit of these improvements, as exemplified by the major results regarding technological practices in antiquity brought to light by the study of a Greek bronze masterpiece, the Vix crater.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0957-0233/14/9/306/pdf

The elemental analysis of ancient copper-based artefacts by inductively-coupled-plasma atomic-emission spectrometry: an optimized methodology reveals some secrets of the Vix crater

Late medieval copper alloying practices: a view from a Parisian workshop of the 14th century AD

In the Early Bronze Age copper production increases dramatically, yet in Western Europe little data is available on linked mining and smelting activity. In the area of Saint-Veran, Hautes-Alpes, ancient mining works testify to large-scale production, estimated at some seven tons of metallic copper per year. The associated smelting site, dated to the end of the 3rd millennium BC, shows particularly advanced technological skill. The mineralogy at Saint- Veran is an exceptionally massive and virtually single-phase deposit. As a consequence, very little beneficiation is required to achieve high-grade ore. The exploited ore is mainly bornite, Cu 5 FeS 4 , which is a particularly copper-rich mineral, compared to the more usual chalcopyrite, CuFeS 2 . Recent surveys have found large amounts of native copper in the ancient mine spoil heaps so native copper was probably exploited, maybe before the Early Bronze Age. The slag morphology and composition is also discussed. Saint- Veran has thin, homogenous low-viscosity slags, similar to the Plattenschlacke recorded during the Middle to Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Alps. This combination of factors must surely have influenced the early start of copper mass production.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03196741/document

The beginning of copper mass production in the western Alps: the Saint-Veran mining area reconsidered

A l’âge du Bronze ancien en Europe occidentale, l’augmentation drastique de la production de cuivre est tres peu documentee au niveau des activites minieres et metallurgiques de transformation. Dans ce contexte, le gisement minier et metallurgique de Saint-Veran, Hautes-Alpes constitue un temoin privilegie de la production de masse a la fin du 3e millenaire, puisqu’aux travaux miniers rendant compte d’une exploitation a grande echelle, avec une production de pres de sept tonnes de cuivre par an, plusieurs sites de metallurgie extractive ont pu etre associes. Depuis pres de vingt ans, plusieurs equipes dont celle rassemblant les presents auteurs ont mene ou menent des recherches pour tenter de documenter le site et son activite. L’objectif de cet article est de presenter l’etat de nos connaissances du gisement au jour d’aujourd’hui. Les resultats principaux sont la mise en evidence et la quantification de l’activite de production de masse. De plus, une premiere description de l’organisation de la production a pu etre donnee, ou sont mis en lumiere les phasages entre activite miniere et metallurgiques, ainsi que les techniques metallurgiques innovantes mises en place. Le gisement revele un eclatement tres marque de l’activite metallurgique dans l’espace qui ne laisse pas d’interroger. De meme, la question de la destination de la production reste entierement posee. Par ailleurs, les moteurs d’une telle implantation en territoire de haute montagne ont commence d’etre identifies. Ainsi sont evoques, pour les seuls determinismes naturels, aussi bien la mineralisation particuliere du gisement que l’evolution du climat.

/pdf/vingt-ans-de-recherches-a-saint-veran-hautes-alpes-etat-des-44uttvjftp.pdf

David Bourgarit

Papers

The elemental analysis of ancient copper-based artefacts by inductively-coupled-plasma atomic-emission spectrometry: an optimized methodology reveals some secrets of the Vix crater

Late medieval copper alloying practices: a view from a Parisian workshop of the 14th century AD

The beginning of copper mass production in the western Alps: the Saint-Veran mining area reconsidered

Vingt ans de recherches à Saint-Véran, Hautes Alpes: état des connaissances de l’activité de production de cuivre à l’âge du Bronze ancien

Chalcolithic fahlore smelting at Cabrieres: a reconstruction of smelting processes by archaeometallurgical finds