Bronze Age Archaeometallurgy of the Mediterranean: The Impact of Lead Isotope Studies

Abstract

For more than 50 years, it has been a goal to use scientific methods to establish which ore deposits were the ultimate sources of the metals from which Bronze Age metal objects were made. Solution of this problem would allow ancient trade routes and cultural contacts to be established. Approaches based solely on trace element analyses have largely failed, and, in many cases, have resulted in archaeological confusion. Success necessitates an approach that takes into account metallurgy; ore deposit geology; and isotope geochemistry, especially lead isotope studies. The methodological background and the success that we have attained in solving this problem are discussed against the background of our archaeometallurgical investigations into the sources of silver, lead, and copper in the Bronze Age Mediterranean.

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