Tin and Bronze Production at the Outeiro de Baltar Hillfort (NW Iberia)

Figueiredo, Elin; Rodrigues, Alexandra; Fonte, João; Meunier, Emmanuelle; Dias, Filipa; Lima, Alexandre; Gonçalves, J.; Gonçalves-Seco, Luis; Gonçalves, Filipe; Pereira, M.F.C.; Silva, Rui J.C.; Veiga, João Pedro

doi:10.3390/min12060758

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The presence of minor and trace elements in alloys may indicate the use of different sources or recovered ores [22]. However, a chemical analysis of copper alloys cannot reliably determine the source of the metals because of the common practice of circulating, remelting, and mixing metals during recovery [23].…”

Section: Matrix Structure Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on the Bronze Weapons Excavated from Xichuan, China

Zhao,

Liu,

Chen

et al. 2024

Metals

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The collection of twelve bronze artifacts discovered in Xichuan provides invaluable historical insights into the Warring States period (476 BC to 221 BC) of ancient China. To investigate their fabrication techniques and current state of preservation, a comprehensive analysis was conducted using a metallographic microscope, a scanning electron microscope, and an electron spectrometer to examine the microstructure and elemental composition of the artifacts. The findings revealed that the copper content in these bronze artifacts varied between 41.82% and 87.95%, the tin content ranged from 6.79% to 46.88%, and the lead content was less than 28.96%. The microstructure exhibited an α-solid-solution dendritic-crystal-segregation structure, with a substantial amount of (α + δ) eutectic distributed in an island-like pattern. Lead was dispersed unevenly, appearing as small granules and large ellipsoids. The composition of these weapons aligned with their intended use, adhering to the manufacturing standards of traditional Chinese bronzes. However, their state of preservation was suboptimal, necessitating immediate protective measures. This study contributes physical evidence to the research on early Chinese bronze production and offers scientific guidance for the conservation and restoration of these bronze artifacts.

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Section: Matrix Structure Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on the Bronze Weapons Excavated from Xichuan, China

Zhao,

Liu,

Chen

et al. 2024

Metals

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Debunking Deterministic Narratives of Technological Development Through Experimentation: A Critical Review of the Prehistory of Tin Bronze Alloying

Montes-Landa,

Timberlake,

Martinón-Torres

2024

J Archaeol Method Theory

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The currently accepted narrative on the prehistory of bronze alloying technology follows deterministic, outdated assumptions of technological progression that ignore the role of contextual and performance factors in the decision-making processes, thus neglecting human agency. In essence, it is expected that newer techniques were overarchingly more advanced than older ones and hence replaced them. The validity of this narrative should be challenged and revised. A critical analysis of worldwide literature exposed that, contrary to predictions of the accepted theory, (1) the oldest alloying techniques persisted for centuries after newer ones were invented, and (2) several techniques usually coexisted in the same contexts. We hypothesised that these counterintuitive findings could be explained by differences in performance between techniques, (dis)advantageous at different settings. To obtain empirical information on the performance of techniques and test for behaviourally relevant performance differences between them, a series of alloying experiments were conducted. The results show that all techniques can produce objects of broadly equivalent quality while offering different trade-offs during production. Therefore, every technique—or a combination—can be advantageous under certain conditions, and there are no grounds to support a linear trajectory of substitution. These results debunk the traditional narrative and predict that co-smelting and cementation techniques were more frequently practiced in the past than hitherto assumed. Our propositions prompt a readjustment of explanatory models of bronze production organisation, trade, and consumption while opening unexplored research paths for archaeology and the history of technology.

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