Technological reconstruction of the late prehistoric primary copper production of the Vilabouly Complex (central Laos)

Cadet, Mélissa; Pryce, Thomas Oliver; Dillmann, Philippe; Sayavongkhamdy, Thongsa; Souksavatdy, Viengkeo; Luangkhoth, Thonglith; Chang, Nigel

doi:10.1007/s12520-022-01608-0

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Crystals with cruciform habit intergrowing with skeletal spinifex olivine were observed (Figure 4c). The peculiar shape of these crystals suggests that they probably consist of magnetite [33][34][35]. In addition, the presence of magnetite is consistent with the magnetism of slag B.…”

Section: Petrological Studysupporting

confidence: 63%

Archaeometallurgical Characterization of Two Lombard Early Medieval Bloomery Slags from Ponte di Val Gabbia I Site (Northern Italy)

Merico

Faccoli

Corte

et al. 2023

Metals

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An archaeometallurgical characterization of two iron smelting tap slags recovered from the early medieval site of Ponte di Val Gabbia I (Brescia, northern Italy) was performed. The main goal was to infer from the slags the working conditions of the ancient bloomery furnace in terms of temperature and oxygen chemical potential. The petrology of both slags was investigated by light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, while their chemical compositions were measured via scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray dispersive spectroscopy. High-resolution Raman micro-spectrometry was used to confirm the identification of the mineralogical phases. The software Rhyolite-MELTS was used to compute the liquidus temperatures of the two slags, which were found to be 1120 °C and 1146 °C. These temperatures approximate the working temperature of the bloomery furnace. A thermodynamic-based approach was adopted to estimate the redox conditions of the reducing atmosphere of the smelting furnace, revealing that the two slags formed in different redox environments. Specifically, the resulting oxygen chemical potentials were −382.61 kJ/mol and −243.80 kJ/mol at the liquidus temperatures of 1120 °C and 1146 °C, respectively.

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Section: Petrological Studysupporting

confidence: 63%

Archaeometallurgical Characterization of Two Lombard Early Medieval Bloomery Slags from Ponte di Val Gabbia I Site (Northern Italy)

Merico

Faccoli

Corte

et al. 2023

Metals

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“…To define our LI ratio thresholds, we choose the slag and ingot assemblages from four sites in two areas: Non Pa Wai and Nil Kham Haeng in the Khao Wong Prachan Valley (KWPV) of central Thailand, and Puen Baolo and Thong Na Nguak in the Vilabouly Complex (VC) of central Laos. All four sites are well documented primary copper production loci with both technological and geochemical characterizations (Cadet et al 2019; 2022; Natapintu 1988; Pigott et al 1997; Pryce et al 2010; 2011b,c). Assemblages of slag, which represents an anthropogenic and pooled LI signature of minerals (ore, gangue and flux), ceramic (crucible, tuyère and furnace) and fuel ash from these sites produced coherent and easily distinguishable LI production fields.…”

Section: Discussion On the Potential For A Bronze Age Ssrmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…In late second–early/mid first millennium bc MSEA, and in particular the most studied MSEA regions of north-central Myanmar and northeast and central Thailand, copper-base metal has a weak but not invisible correlation with hierarchical behaviours. Instead metal was made and used by and within small, probably independent, communities, both at the few (KWPV, VC and PL) primary production sites (Cadet et al 2022; Pigott 2019; Pryce et al 2010; 2011a,c), and also at the more widespread secondary production and consumptions sites (Hamilton & White 2019; White 2019). There is even solid lead isotope evidence for the movement of copper-base metals and production materials (slag and/or ore) between primary production centres, strongly suggesting an at least partial basis of gifting in metal exchange (as per SEALIP/TH/NPW/1, excluded from our threshold calculation: Pryce et al 2011b; 2014).…”

Section: Discussion On the Potential For A Bronze Age Ssrmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Partial Prehistory of the Southwest Silk Road: Archaeometallurgical Networks along the Sub-Himalayan Corridor

Pryce,

Carrignon,

Cadet

et al. 2023

CAJ

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Historical phenomena often have prehistoric precedents; with this paper we investigate the potential for archaeometallurgical analyses and networked data processing to elucidate the progenitors of the Southwest Silk Road in Mainland Southeast Asia and southern China. We present original microstructural, elemental and lead isotope data for 40 archaeological copper-base metal samples, mostly from the UNESCO-listed site of Halin, and lead isotope data for 24 geological copper-mineral samples, also from Myanmar. We combined these data with existing datasets (N = 98 total) and compared them to the 1000+ sample late prehistoric archaeometallurgical database available from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Yunnan. Lead isotope data, contextualized for alloy, find location and date, were interpreted manually for intra-site, inter-site and inter-regional consistency, which hint at significant multi-scalar connectivity from the late second millennium bc. To test this interpretation statistically, the archaeological lead isotope data were then processed using regionally adapted production-derived consistency parameters. Complex networks analysis using the Leiden community detection algorithm established groups of artefacts sharing lead isotopic consistency. Introducing the geographic component allowed for the identification of communities of sites with consistent assemblages. The four major communities were consistent with the manually interpreted exchange networks and suggest southern sections of the Southwest Silk Road were active in the late second millennium bc.

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“…It is slightly bent on one side and covered with small holes and depressions of varying sizes. Conical ingots or slag ingots were used to describe this sort of artefact in earlier studies (Cadet et al 2019), but in more current research, its nature has been modified to a multi-layered artefact (hereinafter 'MLA'), probably as an intermediate byproduct of the metallurgical process (Cadet et al 2022).…”

Section: Brief Description Of Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6a). Currently, the academic community lacks sufficient lead isotope data of intermediate products to determine whether there are subtle differences in the copper materials of Thong Na Nguak and Puen Baolo (Cadet et al 2022); thus.…”

Section: Internal Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New evidence of metal exchange in Southeast Asia during the Iron Age: based on the scientific analysis of excavated bronze in Vilabouly, Laos

Yang

Jiang²,

Luangkhoth³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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This study combines several approaches to investigate bronze objects uncovered at the Thengkham East site in Vilabouly in 2018. According to SEM-EDS research, most copper wares are binary alloys of copper and tin. Metallography (OM) studies have demonstrated that generally, the forming technique of copper wares is casting, and the microstructure of extensive annealing is shown in some areas of isolated weapons. The experimental results for this set of samples were consistent with the previously published style of Vilabouly copperware. Comparative investigations suggest that multiple sites within Vilabouly had similar metallurgical industry technology and that there is a possibility of exchanging intermediate goods between mining/ore processing sites and ordinary consuming locations. Lead isotope studies have corroborated the prevailing opinion that during the early Iron Age in Ban Non Wat, central Laos superseded Thailand in supplying copper to various sections of the Indo-China Peninsula. Given Lead isotope analysis also indicate that there had been connections between Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia in the metallurgical industry during the same period, this study provides support for the hypothesis that incorporate northeastern Cambodia into the medium-range interaction zone where central Laos is located.

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Technological reconstruction of the late prehistoric primary copper production of the Vilabouly Complex (central Laos)

Cited by 5 publications

References 38 publications

Archaeometallurgical Characterization of Two Lombard Early Medieval Bloomery Slags from Ponte di Val Gabbia I Site (Northern Italy)

Archaeometallurgical Characterization of Two Lombard Early Medieval Bloomery Slags from Ponte di Val Gabbia I Site (Northern Italy)

A Partial Prehistory of the Southwest Silk Road: Archaeometallurgical Networks along the Sub-Himalayan Corridor

New evidence of metal exchange in Southeast Asia during the Iron Age: based on the scientific analysis of excavated bronze in Vilabouly, Laos

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