Middle Bronze Age Arsenical Copper Alloys in Southern Portugal

Abstract

In the Iberian Peninsula, the copper metallurgy from the Chalcolithic to the Middle Bronze Age (MBA) was mostly characterized by low arsenic contents. A collection of 53 MBA artefacts from southern Portugal was analysed by micro‐EDXRF, optical microscopy, SEM–EDS and Vickers to investigate the metal composition and manufacture. No technological distinction was found between artefacts from domestic and funerary contexts, which were radiocarbon‐dated to 2000–1500 cal bc. The arsenic contents of almost 100 MBA artefacts from this region, including the above‐mentioned set, have a Gaussian distribution with a high average (3.9 wt% As). Possible explanations are discussed for this distinctive metallurgy at the south‐western end of the Iberian Peninsula.

Micro‐EDXRF study of Chalcolithic copper‐based artefacts from Southern Portugal

“…Chronologically speaking, the circumstances become even more interesting because Middle Bronze Age artefacts from Southern Portugal have a higher proportion of arsenical copper alloys [24,25] (Fig. 3).…”

The Composition of the São Brás Copper Hoard in Relation to the Bell Beaker Metallurgy in the South‐western Iberian Peninsula

“…Chalcolithic: Alcalar, Aljezur, Belle France, Quinta do Anjo, Odemira, Lousal and Monte do Outeiro (Junghans et al , , ); Anta do Malhão, Atalaia do Peixoto, Castro dos Ratinhos/Outeiro dos Bravos, Corte do Alho, Monte das Aldeias, Monte das Cabeceiras 2/4, Porto Mourão, Porto Torrão, São Brás 1/3, São Pedro and Três Moinhos (Vidigal et al ; Valério et al ); Bela Vista 5 (Botainni et al ); Cabezo Juré and La Junta (Bayona ); Escoural (Figueiredo et al ); Outeiro Redondo (Pereira et al ); Porto das Carretas (Valério et al ) and San Blas (Hunt Ortiz et al ). Middle Bronze Age (MBA): Abelheira 1, Horta da Morgadinha, Montinhos 6, Pexem, Torre Velha 12, Vale Frio 2 and Vinha das Caliças 5 (Valério et al ) and Horta do Folgão, Monte da Cabida 3, Tholos Centirã 2 and Torre Velha 3 (Valério et al ). For Middle/Late Chalcolithic (non–Bell Beaker) and Bell Beaker and contexts, see Figure .…”

Microanalytical study of copper ores from the Chalcolithic settlement of São Pedro (Portugal): Copper production in the south‐western Iberian Peninsula

“…Therefore, the growing importance of arsenical Cu alloys, clearly visible among metallic collections of the following millennium (Valério et al . ), should have given rise to new production systems that require further research.…”