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

Noel Gale

Isotrace Laboratory, University of Oxford, UK

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.

Key Words: archaeology and science-based archaeology • Cyprus • lead isotope analysis • Mediterranean Bronze Age metals trade • recycling • Sardinia

European Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 4, No. 1, 113-130 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/146195710100400104
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M. Pearce
Editorial
European Journal of Archaeology, August 1, 2002; 5(2): 145 - 146.
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