Questioning Fe isotopes as a provenance tool: Insights from bog iron ores and alternative applications in archeometry

Rose, Thomas; Télouk, Philippe; Klein, Sabine; Marschall, Horst R.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2018.11.005

Cited by 19 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Several attempts were made to compare the isotopic signature of iron objects and slag to that of ores. Lead (Pb), strontium (Sr), iron (Fe) and osmium (Os) isotopes have all been employed to investigate their suitability for iron provenancing, with varying levels of success [13][14][15][16][17]. Brauns et al [15] argued that lead isotopic ratios are probably of limited value for sourcing iron, as their inhomogeneity in many iron ore deposits is even higher than for most non-ferrous ores due to generally low lead and high uranium concentrations [13].…”

Section: Iron Provenancing Methodology and Osmium Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of iron isotopes for provenancing ferrous archaeological metals has been employed as well [16,17]. However, determining the provenance of heavily corroded iron objects, which is often the case of early Iron Age artifacts from the Levant [19], is near impossible due to isotope fractionation during corrosion [20][21][22].…”

Section: Iron Provenancing Methodology and Osmium Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Osmium isotope analysis as an innovative tool for provenancing ancient iron: A systematic approach

et al. 2020

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The innovation of iron production is often considered one of the greatest technological advances in human history. A reliable provenancing method for iron is instrumental for the reconstruction of economic, social and geo-political aspects of iron production and use in antiquity. Although the potential of osmium isotopes analysis for this purpose has been previously suggested, here we present for the first time the results of osmium isotope analysis of ores, bloom and metal obtained from a set of systematic, bloomery iron-smelting experiments, utilizing selected ores from the Southern Levant. The results show that the 187 Os/ 188 Os ratio is preserved from ore to metal, with no isotopic fractionation. In addition, enrichment/depletion of osmium content was observed in the transition from ore to metal and from ore to slag. This observation has potential significance for our ability to differentiate between the various processes and sheds light on the suitability of various production remains for this method, which emerges as a robust and promising tool for the provenancing of archaeological ferrous metals.

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Section: Iron Provenancing Methodology and Osmium Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Iron Provenancing Methodology and Osmium Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Osmium isotope analysis as an innovative tool for provenancing ancient iron: A systematic approach

et al. 2020

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“…A crucial point for the use of Fe isotopes to trace ancient metals is the isotopic variability of the ore sources. Many authors investigated the fractionation processes of Fe isotopes in magmatic and hydrothermal systems (e.g., Bilenker et al, 2016;Gagnevin et al, 2012;Günther et al, 2017;Sun et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2011;Zhao et al, 2019) or in sedimentary iron ores (e.g., Busigny & Dauphas, 2007;Czaja et al, 2013;Halverson et al, 2011;Rose et al, 2019). In high-temperature magmatic and hydrothermal systems, Fe isotope fractionation may occur between early crystallizing Fe minerals and the residual magma or hydrothermal fluid (e.g., Gagnevin et al, 2012;Wang et al, 2011Wang et al, , 2015Zhao et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From top to bottom, Isotopic composition of bars are plotted in the same order as listed in Table 2 bog iron ores exploited for ancient iron production in Northern Europe and questioned the pertinence of the use of Fe isotopes for ancient Fe metal tracing. However, Rose et al (2019) missed two important points in their reasoning to make it widely applicable for archaeological Fe metal source provenance studies. First, they elaborate their opinion on a very specific type of iron ore: ancient peat bogs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the provenance of iron bars from Les Saintes‐Maries‐de‐la‐Mer Roman shipwrecks (south‐east France) with iron isotopes

et al. 2021

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Fe isotopes were used to determine the origin of iron bars from Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Roman shipwrecks, which was a major archaeological finding at the end of the 20th century in France. Their Fe isotope composition was measured by multi collectorinductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) after chemical Fe purification. The results allowed us to suggest provenances that were compared with those based on trace element analyses of slag inclusions. For most of the bars, we validate the provenance hypotheses previously proposed. Two bar groups originate from the Montagne Noire metallurgical district (south-west France), whereas a third group comes from another source, not clearly identified so far. In this context of Roman iron production, we argue for a non-spatially segmented production, where bars were manufactured close to smelting sites. Combined trace element and Fe isotope analyses on the same objects provide crucial information about the nature of their ore source. The elemental heterogeneity, positive Eu anomaly and Fe isotopic homogeneity of several bars were inherited from gossan-type ores, whereas the negative Eu anomaly and variable Fe isotopes signature of others most likely correspond to sedimentary iron ores. This study demonstrates that combined trace element and Fe isotopes analyses in a well-defined archaeological context is a promising approach for provenance studies of iron metals of archaeological interest.

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“…One problem is the lack of objective criteria for deciding the origin of the swords, which has often resulted in turning to belief -including wishful thinking. Recent scientific investigations on the provenance of iron are very promising, but it is beyond the aim of this brief survey to deal with this complex topic (Charlton 2015;Rose, Télouk, Klein and Marchall 2019). Some sword types were undoubtedly of indigenous origin and production.…”

Section: The Origin Of the Swordsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Viking Age Swords from Telemark, Norway: An Integrated Technical and Archaeological Investigation

Martens¹,

Astrup²,

Loftsgarden³

et al. 2021

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Viking Age Swords from Telemark, Norway. An Integrated Technical and Archaeological Investigation provides a metallographic analysis of 21 Viking Age swords found in the county Telemark in southeastern Norway. The book is the result of a collaboration between archaeologist Irmelin Martens and chemist Eva Elisabeth Astrup. 220 swords have been found in Telemark, and they are a mix of domestic Norwegian and imported European types. The difficulties in determining which ones were made in Norway are complicated by and closely connected to the specific skills Norwegian blacksmiths had mastered with respect to both blade construction and inlay decoration. The metallographic investigations revealed five construction types for sword blades, of which four, requiring different technical levels of smithing, may well have been mastered by Norwegian blacksmiths at that time. Combined with x-ray radiographic studies, the metallographic investigations indicate that new techniques were indeed introduced and disseminated among weaponsmiths during the Viking Age. The findings are also probably representative for the combined total of more than 3000 swords found in all areas of the country. The majority are domestic types, and their great number obviously reflects the organization of sword production and influenced blacksmiths’ social standing.

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Questioning Fe isotopes as a provenance tool: Insights from bog iron ores and alternative applications in archeometry

Cited by 19 publications

References 71 publications

Osmium isotope analysis as an innovative tool for provenancing ancient iron: A systematic approach

Osmium isotope analysis as an innovative tool for provenancing ancient iron: A systematic approach

Investigating the provenance of iron bars from Les Saintes‐Maries‐de‐la‐Mer Roman shipwrecks (south‐east France) with iron isotopes

Viking Age Swords from Telemark, Norway: An Integrated Technical and Archaeological Investigation

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