The transmission of silver and silver extraction technology across the Mediterranean in Late Prehistory : an archaeological science approach to investigating the westward expansion of the Phoenicians
The hypothesis that Phoenician expansion across the Mediterranean resulted in the movement of technological ideas from East to West and materials from West to East is explored through investigating ancient silver and silver extraction technologies. An approach which combines both compositional and lead isotope data is applied to identify recycled silver from the Early and Late Iron Age hoards of the southern Levant. Signatures indicate that components of this mixed silver derived from Anatolia, Iberia and Cyprus in Early Iron Age, and Greece and Iberia in the Late Iron Age. Iberian signatures from the Early Iron Age hoards are consistent with native silver and silver extracted from jarosite ores. With these hoards dating from the 11th century BC, this situates the Phoenicians in Iberia much earlier than is usually attested and suggests that smelting and cupellation technologies travelled with them. A silver ingot recovered from La Rebanadilla in south-east Iberia, exhibiting a similar signature to the hoard silver, may indicate that silver was transported in a semi-refined form. Silver from the Tel Dor hoard in the southern Levant, with signatures consistent with jarosite ores on Cyprus, indicates that technologies
Wood, Jonathan Robert
The transmission of silver and silver extraction technology across the Mediterranean in Late Prehistory : an archaeological science approach to investigating the westward expansion of the Phoenicians. The hypothesis that Phoenician expansion across the Mediterranean resulted in the movement of technological ideas from East to West and materials from West to East is explored through investigating ancient silver and silver extraction technologies. An approach which combines both compositional and lead isotope data is applied to identify recycled silver from the Early and Late Iron Age hoards of the southern Levant. Signatures indicate that components of this mixed silver derived from Anatolia, Iberia and Cyprus in Early Iron Age, and Greece and Iberia in the Late Iron Age. Iberian signatures from the Early Iron Age hoards are consistent with native silver and silver extracted from jarosite ores. With these hoards dating from the 11th century BC, this situates the Phoenicians in Iberia much earlier than is usually attested and suggests that smelting and cupellation technologies travelled with them. A silver ingot recovered from La Rebanadilla in south-east Iberia, exhibiting a similar signature to the hoard silver, may indicate that silver was transported in a semi-refined form. Silver from the Tel Dor hoard in the southern Levant, with signatures consistent with jarosite ores on Cyprus, indicates that technologies
transmission silver silver extraction technology across mediterranean late prehistory archaeological science investigate westward expansion phoenicians hypothesis phoenician expansion across mediterranean result movement technological idea east_west material west_east explore investigate ancient silver silver extraction technology combine compositional lead_isotope data apply identify recycled silver early hoard southern_levant signatures indicate component mixed silver derive anatolia iberia cyprus early_iron_age greece iberia iberian signatures early_iron_age hoard consistent native silver silver extract ore hoard date situate phoenicians iberia much earlier usually attested suggests smelt technology travel them silver ingot recover south_east iberia exhibit similar signature hoard silver may indicate silver transport semi form silver hoard southern_levant signatures consistent ore cyprus indicate technology