Non-ferrous metallurgy from the Phoenician site of La Fonteta (Alicante, Spain): a study of provenance

Renzi, Martina; Montero‐Ruiz, Ignacio; Bode, M. F.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.07.016

Cited by 66 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Lead metal was sometimes used to remove silver from ores in the cupellation or liquation processes (Davies, 1979;Healy, 1978;Shepherd, 1993). In fact, litharge (lead oxide produced during cupellation) was also sometimes traded to regions were insufficient local lead was available to remove all the silver from ores such as jarosite (KFe (III) 3 (OH) 6 (SO 4 ) 2 ) or tetraheriteetennantite ((Cu, Fe, Ag, Zn) 12 Sb 4 S 13 ) (Renzi et al, 2009). Some recycling also occurred in the reuse of water pipe and the sealing of pipe seams (Boni et al, 2000;Wyttenbach and Schubiger, 1973).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local mining or lead importation in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis? Lead isotope analysis of curse tablets from Roman Carthage, Tunisia

Skaggs

Norman

Garrison

et al. 2012

Journal of Archaeological Science

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local mining or lead importation in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis? Lead isotope analysis of curse tablets from Roman Carthage, Tunisia

Skaggs

Norman

Garrison

et al. 2012

Journal of Archaeological Science

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“…1). The "model ages" T listed in Table S1 were calculated with the common Pb isotope composition and the 238 U/ 204 Pb of the crust (29,30) 204 Pb ratios of most Antique silver coins are derived from isotopically young provinces (<120 Ma) and fit sources within the Aegean, Asia Minor, and southeastern Spain (Betic Cordillera) (20,28,31,32) (Figs. 2 and 3).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coinage recycling preexisting coins can therefore be suspected to contain copper freshly added at the site where recycling took place. (20,31,32). This period corresponds to the capture of the kingdom of Granada and of its rich Ag mines by the Spanish kings.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Isotopic Ag–Cu–Pb record of silver circulation through 16th–18th century Spain

Desaulty

Télouk²,

Albalat³

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

103

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Estimating global fluxes of precious metals is key to understanding early monetary systems. This work adds silver (Ag) to the metals (Pb and Cu) used so far to trace the provenance of coinage through variations in isotopic abundances. Silver, copper, and lead isotopes were measured in 91 coins from the East Mediterranean Antiquity and Roman world, medieval western Europe, 16th-18th century Spain, Mexico, and the Andes and show a great potential for provenance studies. Pre-1492 European silver can be distinguished from Mexican and Andean metal. European silver dominated Spanish coinage until Philip III, but had, 80 y later after the reign of Philip V, been flushed from the monetary mass and replaced by Mexican silver.A particularly momentous time during the early history of modern European economy was the attempt by Hamilton (1) to demonstrate that the great Price Revolution (1520-1650) was largely fueled by the influx of American silver rather than by widespread coinage debasement and minting of the lowdenomination copper "vellón". The idea connecting silver influx to European inflation was actually proposed as far back as the16th century by the French philosopher Jean Bodin (2) and is commonplace in classical economics. Huge amounts of silver, ∼300 t annually (3-5), were mined in the Spanish Americas from the 16th to the 18th centuries. That much silver could not be absorbed locally by the American economy and therefore headed for the European market through major Spanish harbors (6), notably Seville (7), and to the Far East either directly through the Philippines or indirectly through Europe (8). The thesis that the Price Revolution in Spain was fueled by the influx of American silver has, however, become controversial in recent literature (9-11). More specifically, some authors emphasized that the arrival of American metals (ca. 1550 to ca. 1809) does not coincide with the period of inflation (ca. 1520 to ca. 1650) (9-11). Understanding silver monetary mass and circulation relies on three types of primary data: (i) the register of taxes collected when the silver bars received the royal stamp (the Quinto in Peru and the Diezmo in Mexico) (12, 13), (ii) the register of the European harbors used to import the silver shippings (1), and (iii) the compilation of contemporaneous gazettes (9). These data are imprecise or even incomplete, especially for trade registers between 1660 and 1809 (9), and do not take contraband and piracy silver into account (8,(14)(15)(16)(17). In addition, any memory of the origin of the metal is lost by recoinage, whenever silver is exported or a new king comes to power, or upon debasement. Reliable tracers of the monetary mass and exchange that can see through the destructive alterations of coinage silver therefore are needed. Over the last 30 years, lead isotope compositions of metallic ores have been collected and gathered into large databases and broadly used as a tool for provenance studies of archaeological artifacts (18)(19)(20). The main factors of provenance analysis are (i) the...

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“…Evidence is widespread for iron production at other Phoenician colonies such as those in the Iberian Peninsula that are contemporary with their indigenous silver producing counterparts, coming from such settlements as Abdera, Cabecico de Parra, Morro de Mezquitilla, Cerro del Peñ on, La Fonteta, Sa Caleta, and Santa Olaia (Renzi et al, 2009;Neville, 2007, 136;Ortega-Feliu et al, 2007;Renzi and Rovira, 2007;Salamanca et al, 2006;Kassianidou, 2003;Jurado, 2002;Niemeyer, 2002;Ram on, 2002;Kassianidou, 1992;Keesmann and Hellermann, 1989). At Tartessian sites such as Cabezo de San Pedro, San Bartolom e, Huelva, and perhaps Almonte, silver working installations can be found that date just before the arrival of Phoenicians, with accelerated developments following colonial contact (Ruiz Mata, 2002, 265).…”

Section: Phoenician Iron Metallurgy and Political Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ferrous metallurgy from the Bir Massouda metallurgical precinct at Phoenician and Punic Carthage and the beginning of the North African Iron Age

Kaufman

Docter

Fischer

et al. 2016

Journal of Archaeological Science

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18provided evidence for ferrous metallurgical activity spanning several centuries. 19Archaeometallurgical analyses of slagged tuyères, slag, and alloys using optical microscopy, 20 portable x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (pXRF), and variable pressure scanning electron 21 microscopy coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (VPSEM-EDS) show that 22Carthaginian smiths were conducting primary smithing and forging of wrought iron and steel.

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Non-ferrous metallurgy from the Phoenician site of La Fonteta (Alicante, Spain): a study of provenance

Cited by 66 publications

References 23 publications

Local mining or lead importation in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis? Lead isotope analysis of curse tablets from Roman Carthage, Tunisia

Local mining or lead importation in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis? Lead isotope analysis of curse tablets from Roman Carthage, Tunisia

Isotopic Ag–Cu–Pb record of silver circulation through 16th–18th century Spain

Ferrous metallurgy from the Bir Massouda metallurgical precinct at Phoenician and Punic Carthage and the beginning of the North African Iron Age

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