Departament de Prehistòria

Este trabajo recoje los resultados de un centenar de nuevos análisis de composición elemental del Bronce final del Norte de Francia y un estudio comparativo con los dépósitos del mimso período tanto en el complejo Atlantico como Nord-Alpino (Brun 1998). Asimismo se hace una breve presentación de la técnica empleada y el proceso metalúrgico.

This communication aims at presenting results of the chemical analyses performed on a comprehensive set of copper ores recovered during an archaeometallurgical survey of the eastern Murcia (Southeast Spain). Our work combines mining prospection, study of the archaeometallurgical context and characterization of ores and metallurgical remains by pXRF, PIXE, XRD, optical microscopy and SEM-EDS.
To analyze the ores, each sample was manually enriched then grinded in agate mortar. The sample was then mounted in specific pXRF sample holder. The corresponding analytical session was carried out at C2RMF using a Thermo Niton Analyzer XL3T under laboratory conditions. The results were also compared with data achieved during the archaeometallurgical survey.
During the survey, two metallurgical settlements dated from the 3rd millennium BC and 34 copper ore sources were identified. By combining the analytical data with the mines location, we are now able to map the compositional pattern of copper ores in the region. The compositional pattern of the copper ores discovered in the two settlements was also determined (La Ciñuela - Mazarrón and Agua Amarga - Lorca): it shows significant differences when compared to the mines.
From the results obtained, we can infer a dual strategy for ore supply:
1) A local exploitation of small copper sources without arsenic. In the corresponding small scale mines we didn’t find any archaeological remain, but the chemical composition of the ores matches with ores discovered in the metallurgical settlements.
2) A middle-distance (>60 km) exploitation of copper ores rich in arsenic. There are few mineralizations with arsenical-copper ores in the region, and in only two, the bigger, we found prehistoric mining artefacts. The chemical patterns of these two mines are consistent with arsenical ores found in archaeometallurgical contexts 60 km far.

Coastal Murcia (SE Iberian Peninsula) has witnessed fundamental changes regarding copper production during the Chalcolithic. For the last years, an  archaeometallurgical survey has been being carried out in this area in order to characterize the copper ore  supply strategies, and their use in the arsenical copper production  (see map and Escanilla et al. 2015).  Agua Amarga (AG), is a settlement dated from the 3rd Millennium BC. More than 100 (>1 kg) of ore fragments and copper smelting and melting debris – slags, slagged ceramics, crucibles and moulds – have been found during ancient prospections.  16 smelting debris and 12 copper ore fragments have been investigated analytically (DRX, pFRX, PIXE, OM, SEM-EDS).

Here we present the results obtained in the study of metallurgical debris of the Copper Age settlement of Agua Amarga (Fuensanta, Lorca). A preliminary description of the different types of debris has been made. This classification has been related to the first metallurgy documented in Iberian Peninsula based on crucible smelting. A selection of materials has been analysed through pFRX, PIXE, XRD, optical microscopy and SEM-EDS. The exceptionality of materials of Agua Amarga allows us to answer questions highly debated about arsenical copper production during Copper Age. Reconstructing ore supplies at Agua Amarga was achieved thanks to regional archaeomining survey and geochemical study of copper deposits.