Identifying mixtures of metals by multi‐isotope analysis: Disentangling the relationships of the Early Bronze Age swords of the Apa–Hajdúsámson type and associated objects

Abstract

This pilot study addresses the analytical characterisation of 26 well‐known bronze objects of the Early and Middle Bronze Age of Central and Northern Europe. Besides swords and axes of the hoards from Apa, Téglás and Hajdúsámson, the investigation includes the famous Sky Disc and its accompanying finds from the Nebra hoard and several full‐hilted swords from Period I in Denmark. In contrast to former publications, the isotopic systematics of lead, tin and copper are the focus of the present investigation. With a combined approach, we try to relate the typologically closely linked or otherwise related artefacts with chemical and isotopic proxies by identifying mixing scenarios. The results demonstrate that artefacts from different locations are most likely not directly linked, but mixing lines across isotope systems suggest a production of the items from common sources by mixing of bronze batches (e.g., bronze ingots), which were probably disseminated between 1600 and 1500 bce. This helps to correlate objects of different locations with each other and to draw conclusions upon typological and cultural connections. Isotopic and chemical correlations of objects within the individual hoards, on the other hand, allow reconstructions of metallurgical practices in single workshops, which, for example, implies recycling of metal scrap.

A not so isolated fringe: Dutch later prehistoric (c. 2200 BCE-AD 0) bronze alloy networks from compositional analyses on metals and corrosion layers

“…These connections may very well be embodied in the ('mappa mundi'; Fontijn, 2019, 37) hoards of this period, that show integration of local communities into networks spanning the Únětice region, the British Isles, and southern Germany (Visser, 2021, 104, cf. Arnoldussen, 2015Fontijn, 2019, 36;Berger et al, 2021).…”

Emergence of monopoly–Copper exchange networks during the Late Bronze Age in the western and central Balkans

“…comparing their geochemical information with those of known ore deposits in the regions under study. The final theory based archaeometallurgical and archaeological interpretation focused on the discussion of the proposed provenance of the copper and its implications concerning alloying, recycling, metal circulation and exchange in a supra-regional perspective [28,81].…”

Мач Типа Апа Из Праисторијске Збирке Градског Музеја Суботица

“…Овом величанственом оружју посвећена је велика пажња истраживача у погледу генезе, типологије, хронологије, орнаментике, укључујући и опсервације на тему контаката између севера и југа Европе (Bader 1991, 37-51;David 2002, 369-393;Novotna 2014;Bartík und Furmánek 2004, 255-272;Hansen 2010;Quillfeldt 1995, 25;Bunnefeld 2016;Pernicka et al 2016;Berger et al 2021). Назив су добили према оставама и појединачним налазима са истоимених локалитета: Хајдушамшон (Mozsolics 1967, 53), Хајдушамшон -Apa (Kemenczei 1991, 8-10;Kovács 1994, 51), Апа (Holste 1953, 45;Bader 1991, 37), Торупгерде (Torupgärde) (Goldmann 1981, 132) или Апа Торупгерде (Apa Torupgärde) (Hachmann 1988, 65).…”

“…У позадини таквог "међусобно повезаног система", који је брзо посредовао у преносу материјалног и нематеријалног импорта (мајстори/занатлије? ), идеја о истовременом почетку производње мачева типа Апа у удаљеним регијама добија своју потврду (Bartík und Furmánek 2004;Berger et al 2021).…”