A lead‐isotope study of the Pb‐Zn‐Cu deposit at Woodlawn, New South Wales

Gulson, Brian L.

doi:10.1080/00167617908729082

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The latter authors analysed the lead isotopes in the metal cores and corrosion rinds from eight corroded copper artefacts from Tell Ahmar in Syria. They found complete agreement between metal and corrosion rind and for six of them with Cypriot ore. Gulson (1979) showed in a comprehensive study that the lead isotope ratios in the Pb-Zn-Cu deposit at Woodlawn (New South Wales) are the same for the primary sulphides and the secondary copper minerals (gossan), demonstrating that there is no isotopic fractionation or contamination by external lead during oxidation of the primary ore. In a further study of Australian Zn-Pb-Cu deposits of the eastern Lachlan Fold Belt, Scott et al (2001) demonstrated that both Pb and Cu are only mobile within the outlay of an ore deposit during gossan formation.…”

Section: Sulphides and Hydrocarbonates-copper Ores Frommentioning

confidence: 96%

“…We found data for occurrences in India (Ericson and Shirahata 1983) and from Tsumeb (Namibia; Frimmel 1999). We plotted them together with our own data from Siegerland and from Laurion in Greece (Durali-Müller 2005) and with the data of Gulson (1979) in a 208 Pb/ 206 Pb vs. 207 Pb/ 206 Pb diagram (Fig. 5).…”

Section: Sulphides and Hydrocarbonates-copper Ores Frommentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Gulson 1979) and been used for provenance studies (Snoek et al 1999). The latter authors analysed the lead isotopes in the metal cores and corrosion rinds from eight corroded copper artefacts from Tell Ahmar in Syria.…”

Section: Sulphides and Hydrocarbonates-copper Ores Frommentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterisation of the raw metal sources used for the production of copper and copper-based objects with copper isotopes

Klein

Brey

Durali-Müller

et al. 2010

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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Copper isotopes can be successfully used to determine the origin of copper or bronze artefacts from either primary or supergene sulphide or hydrocarbonate ores. In conjunction with lead isotopes, they provide information on the origin and type of the metal ore. We demonstrate this in this paper from the combination of literature and own data on metal ores and artefacts (coins and ingots). Low-temperature hydrocarbonates (esp. malachite and azurite) do not fractionate the copper isotopes amongst each other and have identical lead isotopes. Substantial fractionation of copper isotopes, however, occurs between copper sulphides and hydrocarbonates (malachite, azurite) such that the 65 Cu isotope is always enriched in the oxidised relative to the sulphide phase with a clear distinction between the two ore types. Expressed in the δ 65 Cu notation, we assigned supergene sulphides to values less than −0.4‰ down to negative values of −2‰ and more, primary sulphides to a range between −0.4 and +0.3‰ and hydrocarbonates to positive values higher than +0.3‰. We have applied these boundaries to copper coins and ingots from the time of the Roman emperors with known ages from Augustus up to 250 AD. The deposit fields of the metal used for the production of the coins were previously identified from the lead isotope ratios to lie in the Southwest and the Central South of Spain. From the combination of the lead and copper isotopes and the exact time constrains, we could develop a picture of the change in mining activities in Spain involving continued mining sulphide ore deposits and, indicated by positive δ 65 Cu values as proxies for malachite and azurite, the opening of new mines in various time slots. This first application shows that copper isotopes will become the most important tool in archaeometallurgy to distinguish between the exploitation of deeper-seated primary and supergene sulphide ores and shallower, secondary hydrocarbonate ores. This will become especially relevant for archaeometric questions regarding the distinction between occasional and intentionally produced alloys.

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Section: Sulphides and Hydrocarbonates-copper Ores Frommentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Sulphides and Hydrocarbonates-copper Ores Frommentioning

confidence: 98%