Inductively Coupled Plasma‐atomic Emission Spectroscopy Analysis of Metals From Late Bronze Age Hoards in Slovenia

Copper and Copper Alloys in the Southeastern Alps: An Overview*

“…In this period, lead is still used as simple cheap additive to the copper and has no metallurgical function. The comparison with the tin contents determined in the many artefacts dated to the Bronze Age analysed up to now in Slovenia (Trampuž Orel et al 1991, 1998; Trampuž Orel 1996; Trampuž Orel and Heath 1998) shows that in the Final Bronze Age there is a noticeable decrease in the use of tin, which suggests a crisis in the tin trade and a difficult supply situation in the Friuli–Venezia Giulia region (see also Giumlia‐Mair 2003b, 104).…”

The distinctive grave goods from Palhais (Beja, Portugal). New insights into the metallurgical evolution under Orientalizing influence in the southwestern end of Iberia

“…Culturally, the occurrence of low tin bronzes is often attributed to difficulties in the tin supply. Several examples can be found in prehistoric collections from Central Europe, namely from Italy (Giumlia-Mair 2005), Slovenia (Trampuz-Orel et al 1991) or the Caucasus (Pike 2002). In our case, a possible explanation for the composition of those simple instruments, for which mechanical properties were not very important, would be related with the use of more inexpensive and accessible scrap materials.…”

Notranjsko-kraška halštatska skupina

“…82 Dejansko so spektrometrične in metalografske raziskave neve Trampuž Orel in njenih sodelavcev pokazale, da je v bronasti zlitini surovcev visoka vsebnost svinca in drugih slednih elementov, kar se kaže kot značilnost ingotov na našem območju v stopnji Ha B. Ingoti iz Velikega Otoka skupaj s tistimi iz depojev s Kanalskega vrha 83 kažejo torej na novo metalurško znanje in tehnološki napredek pri predelavi kompleksnih polimetalnih rud in izdelavi kovine s posebnimi lastnostmi za nadaljnje razpečevanje. 84 Glede na razmeroma številne podobne depoje z bikoničnimi surovci na prostoru med osrednjo Slovenijo in Furlanijo, vključno z notranjsko, bi lahko sklepali, da so morebiti te polizdelke dragocene kovine tod izdelovali in jih posredovali v srednje evropski 81 Guštin 1973, 474-477, karta 3, sl. 2: 39;id.…”

“…Together with hoards from Kanalski vrh, 83 the ingots from Veliki otok reveal metallurgic know-how and technological advancement in the processing of complex polymetal ores and production of metals with specific characteristics for further distribution. 84 We may infer from the relatively numerous hoards of biconical ingots between Friuli and central Slovenia, which includes notranjska, that this was the area where the semi-finished products of a valuable metal might have been produced and from where they were distributed further to continental europe as well as into Italy and possibly wider in the Mediterranean. 85 Slightly later, another type of hoards appeared in western Slovenia.…”