Coupling lead isotope analysis and petrography to characterize fabrics of storage and trade containers from Hala Sultan Tekke (Cyprus)*

Lead isotopes, thin‐ and sherd‐section analyses are coupled on pottery‐vessel fragments excavated from the Late Bronze Age site of Hala Sultan Tekke (south‐east Cyprus) and representing fabrics used for the production of storage and trade containers. The fabrics of the sherds are first described according to general macroscopic observations. Based on the different fabrics identified, a petrographic analysis is carried out on thin sections and compared to lead isotope results on the same samples. This study shows that a specific fabric corresponds to a specific lead isotopic composition and proposes different sources for the various groups of associated sherds/fabrics. It also demonstrates the compatibility and complementarity of petrography and lead isotopes within pottery provenance study.     

Moving metals or indigenous mining? Provenancing Scandinavian Bronze Age artefacts by lead isotopes and trace elements

The aim of this study is to further the discussion as to whether copper was extracted locally or imported to Sweden during the Bronze Age or if both of these practices could have coexisted. For this purpose, we have carried out lead isotope and chemical analyses of 33 bronze items, dated between 1600BC and 700BC. Among these are the famous Fröslunda shields and the large scrap hoard from Bräckan and other items from three regions in southern Sweden which are also renowned for their richness in copper ores. It is obvious from a comparison that the element and lead isotope compositions of the studied bronze items diverge greatly from those of spatially associated copper ores. Nor is there any good resemblance with other ores from Scandinavia, and it is concluded that the copper in these items must have been imported from elsewhere. The results furthermore indicate that there are variations in metal supply that are related to chronology, in agreement with other artefacts from Scandinavia as well as from other parts of Europe. Altogether these circumstances open up for a discussion regarding Scandinavia’s role in the maritime networks during the Bronze Age.     

MEDIEVAL SILVER PRODUCTION AROUND SIJILMÂSA,MOROCCO

Sijilmâsa (south-east Morocco) was one of the most strategic cities in a far-reaching exchange network, that is, the Trans-Saharan trade, linking the Maghreb with West Africa during the medieval period (from the 8^th to the 15^th century CE). It was also one of the most important gold and silver monetary workshops at the time. If gold came from West Africa, we know from written sources that silver was produced in Morocco, although archaeological evidence of silver mining and smelting has remained elusive. Thanks to a thorough analysis of the lead isotopic data from silver mining districts in Morocco and from ores and slags of our study, we were able to refine the tracing of our materials and provide tangible evidence of medieval mining in the close hinterland of Sijilmâsa city.     

Roman lead mining in Germany: its origin and development through time deduced from lead isotope provenance studies

High precision lead isotope analysis by Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry was applied to the investigation of more than 240 Roman lead objects from several archaeological sites in Germany, in order to obtain information on the pattern of Roman mining activity and ore processing in the area. Measurements of ore samples from German deposits east (Siegerland, Lahn-Dill, Ems) and west of the Rhine (Eifel, Hunsrueck) were made and supplemented with data from literature to create a data bank of lead isotope ratios of European lead occurrences. Comparing the isotope ratios of lead objects with those from German ore deposits shows that the source of over 85% of the objects is Eifel ore deposits, but that, in the early years, the Romans also imported lead from the Southern Massif Central and later from Britain.     

Local recipes or distant commodities? Lead isotope and chemical compositional analysis of glaze paints from the Salinas pueblos,New Mexico

For nearly four hundred years, Pueblo potters in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico produced technologically innovative glaze-decorated bowls and exchanged them widely among different villages. While potential sources of lead ores used to make glaze paints are found throughout the Rio Grande Valley region, researchers have only recently begun to identify which ore sources potters exploited and to understand the social and economic factors underlying patterns of ore resource use. In this paper we use stable lead isotope and electron microprobe analysis of glaze paints on Rio Grande Glaze Ware made at two Salinas pueblos to identify ore sources and glaze recipes used by their potters. Despite some isotopic overlap of ore sources, the lead isotope data point to regular exploitation of ores from the Socorro area of the southern Rio Grande. Salinas potters apparently used other sources as well, and likely mixed ores from different sources. We also identify four local glaze recipes that appear to incorporate multiple ore sources, suggesting that Salinas potters obtained raw ores rather than finished glaze paints.     

海昏侯墓出土马蹄金、麟趾金内嵌物的分析研究

南昌西汉海昏侯墓发掘出土了数量较多的马蹄金,为汉代黄金货币的研究工作提供了宝贵资料,出土马蹄金内均存在镶嵌物,大部分腐蚀严重。结合偏光显微分析、背散射扫描电镜\能谱、红外光谱、X射线衍射光谱对海昏侯墓主棺头箱出土的部分马蹄金内嵌物进行分析研究,依据分析结果将马蹄金内嵌物分为透闪石软玉、蛋白石、铅钡玻璃和疑似高铅玻璃4种类型。其中,铅钡玻璃基本保留玻璃态,腐蚀产物随着埋藏环境的变化存在二次结晶现象,腐蚀的最终产物是碳酸铅;疑似高铅玻璃表现出完全不同的腐蚀状态,外层硅质成分较高形成较为致密的壳状结构,内部碳酸铅以葡萄状填充在少量的硅质成分中。研究结果可为后续的保护处理与马蹄金、麟趾金的复制工作提供理论支持。     

山东济南刘家庄遗址商代青铜器科学分析研究

山东济南刘家庄遗址发掘出土一批带有铭文族徽的商代青铜器,其形制多与殷墟同类器物极为相似,表明晚商时期刘家庄地区居住着一支与商都殷墟有密切关系的氏族。针对该遗址出土动植物遗存、铜器铅同位素等方面已有学者开展了相关研究,取得了一定的研究成果。但总体上看,针对这批青铜器制作工艺、合金技术及矿料特征等科技分析数据偏少,与商都殷墟遗存的关系尚待进一步讨论分析。 本研究选取该遗址三座墓葬中29件青铜器(56个样品)为研究对象,利用扫描电镜及能谱仪、金相显微镜、VG Elemental型多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱仪和利曼Prodigy电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱仪,从青铜器合金组成、金相组织、铅同位素比值及特征微量元素等方面采集数据加以分析,再结合器物形制等考古学资料进行综合研究。 结果表明,刘家庄青铜器主要为铸造成型,合金组成为铅锡青铜、锡青铜、铅青铜、纯铜及铅砷青铜。大部分青铜器金相组织以α固溶体为基体,呈树枝状偏析,枝晶间分布(α+δ)共析体,部分共析体完全腐蚀,Pb相呈颗粒状零散分布或者完全腐蚀,局部区域如孔洞、枝干与缝隙间析出不规则形状铜晶粒。少数器物金相组织内部存在滑移线,推测器物可能经过铸后冷加工。铅同位素比值显示,此批青铜器高放射成因铅占比较高,与殷墟二、三期含高放射成因铅器物数据分布范围相对吻合,与殷墟一期、殷墟四期分布范围稍有差异。微量元素总体趋势以高含量Bi、As、Ag元素为特征,结果与殷墟青铜器微量元素分布模式相较接近。综合对比发现,刘家庄青铜器似乎与殷墟青铜器的主体原料相同。从器型上看,刘家庄青铜鼎、簋、觚形制与纹饰风格等,多与安阳殷墟青铜器尤其是与殷墟二期、三期保持较高的相关性。 本研究表明晚商时期海岱地区与殷墟中原地区交流密切,为商晚期青铜器生产来源与流通关系提供了新的证据。同时,该研究深化了对刘家庄商代青铜器本身的认识,补充完善了济南刘家庄青铜器科技分析内容及考古学研究信息,为深入了解商代时期海岱地区与殷墟之间的关系提供一个新的视角。     

Provisioning Inka feasts at Tiwanaku, Bolivia: the geographic origins of camelids in the Pumapunku complex

While political integration can be achieved by many means, here we focus on the use of feasting and statecraft in the Inka Empire of the Andean Late Horizon (c. AD 1400-1532) in South America. In order to examine Inka political integration of the Lake Titicaca Basin of Bolivia, we examine paleomobility and paleodiet through radiogenic strontium and stable oxygen and carbon isotope data in archaeological camelid remains from the site of Tiwanaku. Mean radiogenic strontium isotope values from all archaeological camelid enamel and bone samples is ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.70998 ± 0.00179 (1σ, n = 48), mean stable oxygen isotope values from a sub-set of archaeological camelid enamel and bone samples is δ¹⁸O_{carbonate (VPDB)} = −10.0‰ ± 2.6‰ (1σ, n = 18) and mean stable carbon isotope values from a sub-set of archaeological camelid enamel and bone samples is δ¹³C_{carbonate (VPDB)} = −9.0‰ ± 1.7‰ (1σ, n = 18). While many camelids consumed in these feasting events were likely local to the Lake Titicaca Basin, others came from a variety of different geologic zones, elucidating our understanding of Inka statecraft and the role of feasting in political integration in empires in the past.     

Element localization in archaeological bone using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence: identification of biogenic uptake

Trace element analysis related to archaeological bone is viewed as one way to determine levels of element exposure in past populations. This area of research is complex because there is the potential for the incorporation of trace elements from the burial environment into archaeological bone. We tested the hypothesis that matching the spatial distribution of trace elements within cortical bone with the biological structures would provide evidence of biogenic uptake. We examined samples from a non-segregated Royal British Naval cemetery (1793–1822) in Antigua, West Indies. A key historical question related to this population was the extent of exposure to lead and the resulting health effects. Images from conventional light microscopy (histological) analysis of the bone samples were matched with elemental maps of calcium, strontium, and lead that were created through the use of synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF). Biogenic uptake of both strontium and lead was indicated based on the localization of these trace elements within discreet microstructural elements. The successful integration of histological information with XRF data is a powerful technique for the interpretation of past biological events through trace elements.