Differential access to metal wealth from colony to capital to collapse at Phoenician and Punic Carthage: non-ferrous alloys and mineral resources from the Bir Massouda site

Kaufman, Brett; Docter, Roald; Scott, David A.; Chelbi, Fethi; Telmini, Boutheina Maraoui

doi:10.1007/s12520-018-00776-2

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Attempts to reconstruct the development of Phoenician metallurgy go back to the limited surveys of copper and iron production at Phoenician sites of the Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia, and North Africa. [17][18][19][20][21] Among the most important Phoenician colonies, Motya had a strategic position in the Central Mediterranean area as it connected the sea routes of the East regions with those of the West of the Mediterranean. Moreover, Motya was located along the commercial routes of central Italy and received goods from the Center Europe to the North Africa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Micro‐Raman spectroscopy and complementary techniques applied for the study of copper and iron wastes from Motya (Italy)

Bernabale

Montanari

Nigro

et al. 2022

J Raman Spectroscopy

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This work is the first archaeometric investigation on copper and iron wastes from the Phoenician site of Motya (Sicily, Italy), dating back to the 8 th to the 4 th century BC. The samples were analyzed through micro-Raman Spectroscopy (μ-RS), Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), High-Resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-FESEM), and Electron Micro-Probe Analysis (EMPA). Micro-Raman techinique permitted to identify both primary phases, for example, calchopyrite, and secondary products such as cuprite and copper thrihydroxychlorides in the Cu-slags and goethite in the Fe-slags. SEM and HR-FESEM imaging showed the occurrence of inhomogeneous microstructures in the Cu-and Fe-slags due to elements segregation, solidification, and corrosion. EMPA data revealed that the archaeometallurgical wastes from Motya can be differentiated on the basis of their chemical compositions. These preliminary results showed different typologies of byproducts, such as base metals speiss, copper slags from smelting sulfide ore with matte, and iron smelting and smithing slags, suggesting different stages of copper and iron productions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%