Archaeometallurgy of the Vinča culture: A case study of the site of Belovode in Eastern Serbia

Abstract

The site of Belovode came to fame within the archaeological community with the discovery of the earliest metallurgy so far known. The evidence is several pieces of copper slag dated to c5000 BC (Radivojević et al 2010). Extensive compositional, microstructural and provenance analyses of this material showed a consistent smelting technology over the c400 years of the site’s occupation. This paper provides a detailed analytical account of 12 further samples from Belovode indicating copper mineral use and archaeometallurgical activities. Particular emphasis is given to production debris from the ‘metallurgical’ Trench 3, although other significant metallurgicalcontexts are also included. The overall aim is to investigate technological relationships between the specimens presented here and those previously published by Radivojević et al (2010). Their technological associations provide a more coherent image of the archaeometallurgical activities in this part of Eurasia at the dawn of metallurgy.

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