I would like to support Peter Northover's comment on the use of native
copper in the European Chalcolithic. In two papers we have shown that most
objetcs that were commonly interpreted as native copper because of their
high purity most likely consist of smelted copper. For reference:
Pernicka, E., Begemann, F., Schmitt-Strecker, S., Wagner, G.A. 1993:
Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age Copper Artefacts from the Balkans and their
Relation to Serbian Copper Ores. Praehistorische Zeitschrift 68, 1-54.
Pernicka, E., Begemann, F. Schmitt-Strecker, S., Todorova, H., Kuleff, I. 1997:
Prehistoric copper in Bulgaria: Its composition and provenance. Eurasia
Antiqua 3, 41-180.
___________________________
Prof. Dr. Ernst Pernicka
Lehrstuhl für Archaeometallurgie
TU Bergakademie Freiberg
Gustav-Zeuner-Strasse 5
D-09596 Freiberg
Tel: **49-3731-393353
Fax: **49-3731-393657 or **49-3731-392489
E-mail: <[log in to unmask]>
Internet: http://www.am.tu-freiberg.de
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