Bronze Age Copper Produced at Mitterberg, Austria, and its Distribution

Abstract

The rich copper ore deposits in the eastern Alps have long been considered as important sources for copper in prehistoric central Europe. However, the role that each deposit played is not clear. To evaluate the amount of prehistoric copper produced from the various mining regions, we attempted to link prehistoric metal artefacts with copper ores based on the geochemical characteristics of the ore deposits that were exploited in ancient times. Alongside the usage of ores as shown by the finished products, the production aspects, the quantity and variation over time must also be considered. Recent archaeological investigation has allowed these datasets to be combined in order to show the importance of one of the largest Bronze Age mining fields in Europe. More than 120 ore samples from the well-known mining regions of Mitterberg, Viehhofen, and Kitzbühel were analysed for lead isotope ratios and trace element concentrations. These results were combined with analytical data generated by previous archaeometallurgical projects in order to compile a substantial database for comparative studies. In the Early Bronze Age, most metal artefacts were made of copper or bronze with fahlore impurity patterns, and most examples from this period match the fahlore deposits in Schwaz and Brixlegg. At the end of the Early Bronze Age, a new variety of copper with low concentrations of impurities appeared. The impurity patterns of these examples match the ores from the Mitterberg region. Later, in the Middle Bronze Age, this variety of copper almost completely replaced the fahlore copper. In the Late Bronze Age, the exploitation of the ores changed again and copper with a fahlore signature reappeared. The reason for the renewed copper production from fahlores might have been a decline of the chalcopyrite mines. But it was more likely due to the fact that the rising demand for copper could no longer be met by the chalcopyrite mines alone. The examples from the Early Iron Age show no fundamental changes in metal composition. The copper metallurgy in the Early Iron Age is based on the traditions of the Late Bronze Age. KeywordsMitterberg, prehistoric mining, copper production, lead isotope analysis, provenance of copper, eastern Alps. Zusammenfassung -Bronzezeitliche Produktion von Kupfer am

Ølby Woman:

“…Trace element concentrations of As-Ni, As-Sb and Ag-Sb of the artefacts from the Ølby burial compared to the relevant ore bodies in the Slovakian Ore Mountains and the eastern Alps. Ore values are nor malized to copper and based on regional, interdisciplinary investigations of the specific mining regions (Höppner et al 2005, Schubert and Pernicka 2013, Schreiner 2007, Modarressi-Tehrani et al 2016, Pernicka et al 2016). 1935.…”

Lead Isotope Analyses of Metal Objects from the Apa Hoard and Other Early and Middle Bronze Age Items from Romania

“…The objects analysed in this study (red) match the pattern of the main lode almost perfectly (Graphics: E. Pernicka). Concentrations of bismuth and antimony in the analysed archaeological objects compared with copper ores from the eastern Alps and the Slovak Ore Mountains (data arefrom Schreiner 2007. -Pernicka, Lutz, Stöllner 2016.…”

“…24. Comparison of lead isotope ratios of the Mitterberg region(Pernicka, Lutz, Stöllner 2016) and copper ores from Slovakia and lead ores from northwest Romania(Marcoux et al 2002. -Schreiner 2007 with Early and Middle Bronze Age metal finds from Romania (Graphics: E. Pernicka).Fig.…”

The Provenance, Use, and Circulation of Metals in the European Bronze Age: The State of Debate

“…The raw material of the earliest Scandinavian copper objects was coming from distant regions such as the eastern Alps, Slovakia, or the British Isles, which has been archaeologically and chemically confirmed (Klassen 2000(Klassen , 2004Klassen and Pernicka 1998;Pernicka et al 2016a). The acquisition routes of copper for early (low) tin bronzes in Scandinavia (c. 2100-1700 BC) are now more clearly understood, as exemplified by the Pile hoard at the edge of the sea in southwestern Scania (Vandkilde 2017a).…”

“…The desire for a more in-depth and constructive academic debate among all those involved led to a small workshop "The Provenance, Use and Circulation of Metals in the European Bronze Age," organized by the two senior authors and held in March 2016 at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge. The trigger for this event was a recent surge in archaeometallurgical projects across Europe and discussions, including opposing interpretations, arising from subsequent publications that targeted long-distance trade of copper in the European Bronze Age or proposed models of metal recycling based on chemical composition of artifacts in this period Pernicka et al 2016a). The underlying aim of all participants (coauthors here) was to identify how best to acquire, analyze, and interpret extensive archaeometallurgical data for building both small and large-scale archaeological narratives for Bronze Age societies in Europe and beyond.…”