Tracing the Distribution of Late 16th and Early 17th Century European Copper Artefacts in Southern Québec and Ontario,Canada

To understand the nature of trade/exchange of ‘Basque’ copper kettles and their fragments among Indigenous communities from Québec to Ontario, Canada, we examined 948 copper samples from 75 archaeological sites. We found that 936 samples were sortable into 11 coarse chemical groups: seven biased towards Ontario, three favouring Québec and only one balanced between the two provinces. This pattern may represent kettles and pieces ‘mostly traded’ or ‘mostly kept’ by Indigenous groups within Québec. Chemical group distribution within individual provinces is complex. A tentative chronology of copper chemical groups provides additional insight into the complex trading/exchange patterns among the Indigenous groups of southern Ontario.     

The So‐called Venetian Enamelled Copper Artworks of the Italian Renaissance: the Technology and Provenance of the Enamels—an Analytical Approach

The so‐called Venetian enamelled coppers are a group of objects produced in Italy during the 15th century. Up to now, about 300 objects have been recognized in private collections and in European and US museums. At the end of 19th century, a Venetian origin was suggested, but their provenance is still debated. In this study, the enamel compositions from 22 enamelled copper products from Italian and French collections have been analysed by invasive and non‐invasive techniques. A comparison of the results with Tuscan and Venetian glass databases reinforces the suggestion of a Tuscan (most probably Florentine) origin for these works of art.     

Quantitative characterization of archaeological bronzes based on thermal and compositional analysis

Pulsed thermography has been applied to the quantitative characterization of the insertions of two ancient bronzes, the Boxer at Rest and the Hellenistic Prince. The analysis of the thermographic signal time dependence performed by a specifically developed model enabled the evaluation of the insertions’ thickness and of elements which could provide indications about the procedure followed for their insertion. This could be achieved by exploiting a semi-empirical relation establishing the thermal diffusivity dependence on the total effective weighted concentration of Sn and Pb atoms obtained from the analysis of the values determined on samples containing different concentrations of Sn and Pb.     

高青陈庄遗址M35、M36出土青铜器腐蚀特征分析

高青陈庄遗址M35、M36出土的青铜器具有黑色锈蚀等特殊的腐蚀现象。本研究在对这两个墓出土青铜器腐蚀现象统计分析的基础上,对其典型的腐蚀特征进行了总结,并进行了相应的科技检测分析。得知,这两个墓葬土壤中可溶性硫酸盐的含量很高;青铜器中含有大量的S;其黑色腐蚀产物为铜硫化物;闪亮颗粒物为结晶良好的铜硫化物,晶粒为平行的板片状集合体;含有大量的“铜”,纯铜颗粒和纯铜片的显微结构形貌与铜硫化物相同;铜器所带有的绿色调和绿色锈点为硫酸盐矿物结晶所致;基体表层黄白、灰白色锈蚀中含有铜锡合金;铜器很少检测出氯离子。     

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

Copper ores recovered at the third millennium bce settlement of São Pedro, Portugal, were characterized by micro-Raman spectroscopy, micro-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (micro-EDXRF) and micro-particle-induced X-ray emission spectrometry (micro-PIXE). The collection shows the common presence of secondary copper minerals (malachite, pseudomalachite and libethenite) combined with iron oxyhydroxides (hematite and goethite), while arsenic-rich minerals are absent and, therefore, can be excluded as the source of arsenical copper. Overall, these copper ores suggest a primitive technology involving the exploitation of the superficial zone of ore bodies and reliant on the fortuitous finding of arsenic-rich sources to produce the arsenical copper alloy frequently present among metallic collections of the Iberian Peninsula.     

CHARMed PyMca,Part II: An evaluation of interlaboratory reproducibility for ED‐XRF analysis of copper alloys

CHARMed PyMca is a protocol for researchers using energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED‐XRF) who wish to maximize interlaboratory reproducibility of quantitative results from copper alloys found in heritage materials. This paper reports the results of a study evaluating the interlaboratory reproducibility expected when following this protocol. Five institutions participated in this study, using nine tube‐based instruments of seven types. A set of 12 reference materials not used for calibration was analysed according to the protocol. The results show an improvement in reproducibility of between 65% and 83%, depending on the element, in comparison with a similar study carried out in 2010. The protocol allowed the consistent reporting of concentrations for 15 elements, in contrast to only eight elements that were reported in the 2010 study. Finally, the protocol was shown to generate accurate quantitative results with a well‐characterized precision. It is hoped the information presented here can help researchers studying heritage copper alloys to collaborate more effectively and with greater confidence in the reproducibility of their results. It should also aid researchers to make realistic and informed decisions about whether or not the degree of reproducibility that they may expect from ED‐XRF makes the protocol suitable for their specific purposes.     

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

A large ceramic vessel was discovered at São Brás (southern Portugal) containing a metallic hoard from the Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age period. These weapons and tools were characterized by microanalytical techniques as being composed of copper with varying arsenic contents (2.2 ± 1.6 wt%) and minor amounts of lead, bismuth and iron. The collection shows a clear association between daggers and copper with a higher arsenic content, which can be explained by the high status of these silvery alloys. Finally, the compositional distribution of the hoard was compared with the metallurgy of the Bell Beaker and non–Bell Beaker communities inhabiting the south‐western Iberian Peninsula.     

略论鸦片战争前后银贵钱贱的原因

清代自乾隆后期开始,银钱比价发生重要变化,始终处于银贵钱贱阶段。特别是鸦片战争前后,不少地区一两白银兑钱二千甚至更多,对民生、经济影响至巨,而对于其中的原因,建国以来多数学者把它归因于鸦片的大量输入导致的白银大量外流。我们认为,这种认识并不全面,导致鸦片战争前银贵钱贱的原因是多方面的,既有鸦片大量输入这个外部因素,也有清代货币体系本身的内部原因。     

Trace element and Pb isotope provenance analyses of native copper in northwestern North America: results of a recent pilot study using INAA,ICP-MS,and LA-MC-ICP-MS

Several indigenous groups in northwestern North America used native copper prior to EuroAmerican contact. The Arctic, Subarctic, and Northwest Coast culture areas all have archaeological finds and geological sources of native copper. The copper-rich region of south-central Alaska and southwestern Yukon has often been credited as the source of archaeological native copper found on the Northwest Coast despite the presence of native copper sources further south. This paper presents the results of a pilot study using INAA, ICP-MS, and LA-MC-ICP-MS to assess the potential for native copper provenance research in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Discrete native copper sources could be distinguished from one another intra-regionally. Difficulties associated with future native copper provenance research in northwestern North America are discussed.     

论新识的一种周系铸铜工具

周公庙遗址出土的"圆锥体中空器"是一种铸铜工具,该类器物应属"周系"文化因素,其流行时代早于西周早期偏晚阶段.