ROME'S Rise to Power. Geochemical Analysis of Silver Coinage from the Western Mediterranean (Fourth to Second Centuries BCE)

Westner, Katrin; Birch, Thomas; Kemmers, Fleur; Klein, Sabine; Höfer, Heidi E.; Seitz, Hans-Michael

doi:10.1111/arcm.12547

Cited by 26 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(56 reference statements)

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“…Silver isotopes were analysed on series of coins from the Roman Republic (Westner et al . 2020) and Magna Graecia (Birch et al . 2020a, 2020b).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Pb concentrations in coins from the Roman Republic (Hollstein 2000; Westner et al . 2020) fall within a narrow range and are systematically lower than the solubility of Pb in Ag (1–3 wt% between 300 and 900°C; Karakaya and Thompson 1987). This observation together with the low vapour pressure of Pb, leaves no doubt that Pb was not added to the metal after purification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…2020; Westner et al . 2020). The majority of late denarii (in black) plot to the right of the coins struck before the Second Punic War to slightly after and they conspicuously overlap the fields of Phoenician hoards (Eshel et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The present data provide evidence that the Romans only recommenced large‐scale exploitation of jarositic silver ores of the Iberian Pyrite Belt and Rio Tinto (Domergue 1990; Westner et al . 2020) in the late second century bce . They clearly did not adopt the Greek method of local mining of high‐grade ores, but used the Phoenician protocol, also mastered by the Celtiberian tribes, of combining low‐grade silver ores with galena‐sourced Pb from the entire Iberian Peninsula.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From commodity to money: The rise of silver coinage around the Ancient Mediterranean (sixth–first centuries bce)

Albarède¹,

Blichert‐Toft

Callataÿ

et al. 2020

Archaeometry

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The reasons why the Western Mediterranean, especially Carthage and Rome, resisted monetization relative to the Eastern Mediterranean are still unclear. Here, we address this question by combining lead and silver isotope abundances in silver coinage from the Aegean, Magna Graecia, Carthage, and the Roman Republic. The clear relationships observed between 109 Ag/ 107 Ag and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb reflect mixing of silver ores or silver objects with lead metal used for cupellation. The combined analysis of Ag and Pb isotopes reveal important information about the technology of smelting. The Greek world extracted Ag and Pb from associated ores, whereas, on the Iberian Peninsula, Carthaginians and Republican era Romans applied Phoenician cupellation techniques and added exotic Pb to lead-poor Ag ores. Massive silver re-cupellation is observed in Rome during the Second Punic War. After defeating the Carthaginians and the Macedonians in the late 2 nd century BCE, the Romans brought together the efficient, millenniumold techniques of silver extraction of the Phoenicians, who considered this metal a simple commodity, with the monetization of economy introduced by the Greeks.Silver has been highly prized in the Mediterranean and Near East region for millennia. The most obvious traces of its extraction can be seen in the contamination of ice and peat bogs all the way to the Arctic (Cortizas et al., 2002;Hong et al., 1994). The rise of monetized silver in the late 6 th and the 5 th century BCE in the Eastern Mediterranean world can be interpreted in different ways. Some consider that minting facilitated trade (Davis, 2012;Kim and Kroll, 2008), and, indeed, the abundance of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean as a proxy for economic performance correlates with lead peaks observed in Arctic ice (Parker, 1992). In the long run, however, the spread of coinage is also undoubtedly linked to the explosion of Greek mercenary service in the late 6 th -5 th centuries, but to an extent that varies with the period and the local political circumstances (De Callataÿ, 2019;Krasilnikoff, 1992; Trundle, 2004). The present work uses Ag and Pb isotopes to further inform the debate by investigating the transition between two modes of silver utilization

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“…Silver isotopes were analysed on series of coins from the Roman Republic (Westner et al . 2020) and Magna Graecia (Birch et al . 2020a, 2020b).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

From commodity to money: The rise of silver coinage around the Ancient Mediterranean (sixth–first centuries bce)

Albarède¹,

Blichert‐Toft

Callataÿ

et al. 2020

Archaeometry

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“…Coins therefore are useful for developing a better understanding of political history, economy, and development of commerce. Archaeometric studies of silver coins reveal information regarding the interactions, technology, and economy at particular points in history [1][2][3][4]. Since authentic historical coins are limited and rare items, the chemical analysis of the objects should ideally preserve the integrity of a coin, while giving reliable analytical information about its composition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-destructive identification of surface enrichment and trace element fractionation in ancient silver coins

Hrnjic

Hagen‐Peter

Birch

et al. 2020

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B:

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A common issue in non-destructive surface analysis of historical silver coins is depletion of Cu from the nearsurface areas, which in turn results in higher Ag content at a coin's surface. This paper reports a non-destructive analytical strategy using µXRF for identification of Ag and Cu surface enrichments and depletions by comparing peak intensity ratios of Ag Kα/Ag Lα, Cu Kα/Ag Kα and Cu Lα/Ag Lα for coins and Ag-Cu standards of similar composition. Our characterization of coins from different contexts and chronologies shows that a multi-standard approach provides the most reliable identification of surface enrichment of Ag and depletion of Cu. Coins possessing Ag surface enrichment were further analysed with LA-ICP-MS to determine any differences in trace element composition between the cores and surface of the coins. We show that the near-surface regions of these coins are enriched in Au and depleted in Co, Ni, As, and Pt relative to their cores. These systematics allow for a more robust assessment of the degree of silver coin surface alteration critically important in measuring the original composition of historical silver coins.

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Plano-convex ingots and precious metalwork in northwestern Iberia during the Late Iron Age and early Roman period: an analytical approach

Armada

García-Vuelta

2021

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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ROME'S Rise to Power. Geochemical Analysis of Silver Coinage from the Western Mediterranean (Fourth to Second Centuries BCE)

Cited by 26 publications

References 42 publications

From commodity to money: The rise of silver coinage around the Ancient Mediterranean (sixth–first centuries bce)

From commodity to money: The rise of silver coinage around the Ancient Mediterranean (sixth–first centuries bce)

Non-destructive identification of surface enrichment and trace element fractionation in ancient silver coins

Plano-convex ingots and precious metalwork in northwestern Iberia during the Late Iron Age and early Roman period: an analytical approach

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