What role did really tin bronze play in the Argaric society?
[EN] The transition from arsenic copper to tin-bronze in ancient metallurgy has long been attributed to the superior physical and mechanical properties of tin-bronze. However, recent archaeometallurgical studies have cast doubt on this theory, suggesting that the functional and productive advantages...
| Autores: | , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2024 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repositorio: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/376482 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/376482 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Bronze Arsenic Cooper Alloy Microhardness Test Metallography Iberian Peninsula Early Bronze Age Kulcsszavak Bronz Arzénes Réz Mikrokeménység mérés Metallográfia Ibériai-Félsziget Kora bronzkor Metal treatment Old age |
| Sumario: | [EN] The transition from arsenic copper to tin-bronze in ancient metallurgy has long been attributed to the superior physical and mechanical properties of tin-bronze. However, recent archaeometallurgical studies have cast doubt on this theory, suggesting that the functional and productive advantages of tin-bronze over arsenical copper may not be as clear-cut as traditionally thought. In this paper we present the results of metallographic and microhardness tests conducted on the metallic assemblages from several Bronze Age Argaric sites (Southeast Iberia). Compositional analyses of more than 700 copper-based objects revealed a distinct correlation between the use of tin-bronze for ornaments and arsenical copper for functional objects. This fact suggests that the choice of tin-bronze was influenced by factors beyond mere productivity. The results presented in this paper show that both arsenic copper and tin-bronze could exhibit similar mechanical properties. According to them, their microhardness levels depend on the final processes of their manufacture and the intensity of these processes, rather than on the alloy's composition. This challenges the notion that bronze was adopted solely for its functional efficiency. Therefore, alternative interpretations must be considered to explain the adoption of this new alloy. |
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