Determining Ancient Mining Practices: Ag Isotope Analysis of Serbian Gold and Silver Artifacts from Prehistory
Silver in placer Au-Ag nuggets in streams, metal mined from hydrothermal veins, and silver obtained from cupellation of lead each have a distinct isotopic signature . These can be used to track how mining practices changed over time in prehistory through the non-destructive analysis of Au-Ag artifacts in the collections of the recently reopened National Museum in Belgrade.
Partner: Serbian National Museum, Belgrade
Characterizing Tin Deposits of Turkey and their Use in the Bronze Age of the Eastern Mediterranean Region
So far two underground mines dating to the Early to Late Bronze Age (3000-1200 BCE) have been discovered in the Taurus region of Central Turkey. Mineralogical, compositional, and isotopic analysis of these ores will determine if these mines contributed to bronze production in Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean region.
Partner: Turkish General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration
Resilience of Metal Supply and Trade Networks in European Prehistory
Resilience of strategic mineral resource access is a critical issue today, and in fact has affected cultural stability since prehistory. Using Sn isotopes as a "fingerprint", the source and trade of tin in the Balkans can be defined for several key time periods: initial adoption of alloy technology in the Early Bronze Age; pre-Mediterranean civilization collapse in Late Bronze Age; regional cultural recovery in Early Iron Age; and post Celtic migration in Middle Iron Age. Comparing patterns over time demonstrate how these networks responded to major cultural disruptions.
Partners: Primorska University, Slovenia; Serbian Archaeological Institute; Bulgarian National Archaeological Institute
