The traditional view of the evolution of copper metallurgy has its
limitations. It is undoubtedly true that the earliest manipulation of
copper was done with native copper but this was in Anatolia in the
9th-8th millennia BC in an area where there is a local sufficiency of
native copper.
How the knowledge of metals spread from this centre is an open and
very interesting question. While some aspects of metallurgy may have
only had a single point of invention in the Old World others may have
been developed indpendently in several places. This is of relevance to
the earliest significant metal smelting industries in Europe, in the
Balkans. Recent metallographic and microanalytical studies by Prof. N.
Ryndina and colleagues in Moscow have demonstrated that as far back as
the Varna culture of Bulgaria sulphide ores were involved in the
smelting. In the fifth and fourth millennia BC oxide and carbonate
ores were also used but there is really very little convincing
evidence for a significant use of native copper. This is a personal
opinion, but my feeling is that in European prehistory the importance
of native copper has been considerably overestimated.
Peter Northover
-------------------
Dr Peter Northover
Materials Science-Based Archaeology Group,
Department of Materials,
Begbroke Science and Business Park,
Sandy Lane,
Yarnton,
Oxford OX5 1PF,
Tel. 01865 283721
Fax. 01865 437244
Mobile. 07785 501745
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