Trace Elements and Isotopes: The Origin of Gold from Ur from a Geochemical Point of View

Jansen, Moritz; Hauptmann, Andreas; Klein, Sabine; Zettler, Richard L.

doi:10.1515/9781646021512-021

Cited by 2 publications

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“…The geologically active and topographically uplifted regions of the Alpide belt are antithetic to the geological stability and well-watered alluvium favoured by early urban civilizations in lower reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, and the Nile and Indus valleys; their metal supplies thus relied on expeditions and trade networks. For Mesopotamia, this meant adjacent regions of Anatolia, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan and central Asia as possible sources (Jansen et al 2021), but with differing costs and security of supply. The long-distance trade between Assur and Kanesh is a prime example (Fig.…”

Section: Likely Sources Of Gold and Silvermentioning

confidence: 99%

Gold and Silver: Relative Values in the Ancient Past

Ross,

Bettenay

2023

CAJ

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We have documented more than 200 relative values of gold and silver across almost 3000 years (2500 bce–400 ce) to establish value benchmarks for essentially pure metal. Our aim is to improve understanding of ancient economies by enabling regional and temporal comparisons of these relative values. First, we establish silver as an early, reliable benchmark for valuing gold of varying purity before implementation of parting. Whilst purity accounted for two to threefold variation in the value of gold, we conclude that availability was more influential. Access to Nubian gold until about 1100 bce seems an important influence on gold-silver value ratios in Egypt and the Near East, which increased significantly following loss of this source. This investigation yields a suite of relative values for essentially pure gold and silver, subdivided by regions and intervals from 2500 bce–400 ce. These will enable future comparisons of precious metal-denominated costs of labour and commodities, including with today.

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Section: Likely Sources Of Gold and Silvermentioning

confidence: 99%

Gold and Silver: Relative Values in the Ancient Past

Ross,

Bettenay

2023

CAJ

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“…Other authors have determined in addition to the elemental composition of gold and the lead isotope ratios, the elemental and isotopic composition of PGE inclusions (Os isotope ratios). Recently, Jansen et al (2016); Jansen et al (2021) used this protocol to analyse gold jewellery from the Early Bronze Age graves excavated at Ur and on the basis of the data obtained they suggested the exploitation of gold sources located in the Tethyan Eurasian metallogenic belt, perhaps the placer deposits at Takab in Iran and at Samti in Afghanistan, and underlined the use of gold containing a high level of Pb, not correlated with Ag, and amounts of Cu reaching almost 6 wt %.…”

Section: On Gold Recyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

On gold recycling. A physicochemical point of view

Guerra

2021

Archaeometry

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Perceived as a material and a colour, gold has assumed major societal roles. It has been used as a medium of exchange and in the production of objects with cultural, social and religious meanings. Being a finite resource, gold has often been subjected to recycling processes. Over time, some objects were reused to make new objects and others were melted down to use the resulting gold as raw material. These operations can be approached using an appropriate analytical protocol. Analytical challenges raised by studies on the reuse and recycling of gold are discussed in the given examples, some of them focusing on coins and others on jewellery and ritual objects. To illustrate the different levels of analytical difficulty, some of these objects were made during times of gold scarcity and others in periods of gold influx.

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Trace Elements and Isotopes: The Origin of Gold from Ur from a Geochemical Point of View

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Gold and Silver: Relative Values in the Ancient Past

Gold and Silver: Relative Values in the Ancient Past

On gold recycling. A physicochemical point of view

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