Characterising Bronze Age copper from the Great Orme mine in North Wales to determine and interpret its distribution
The Great Orme copper mine on the coast of North Wales is one of the largest surviving Bronze Age mines in Europe. However, linking the mine to metal artefacts has been impeded by influential claims in the literature of the 1990s that the mine could only produce low impurity metal, which is uncommon in Bronze Age Britain. This has marginalised the importance of the mine as a metal source combined with the claim that the mine was only large because it was worked on a small scale for nearly a millennium. In addition, the past use of lead isotopes has produced confusing evidence due to the mineâs radiogenic ores and a lead ore vein crossing the copper deposit. The main objective of this thesis is to resolve the confusion and contradictions in the literature and allow the distribution of Great Orme metal to be determined and interpreted. Applying an interdisciplinary approach, involving ore geology, mineralogy, geochemistry and pyrotechnology, a new methodology has been developed. This is based on the concept of establishing mine-based metal groups rather than using the existing artefact-based metal groups. Ore samples, taken throughout the Bronze Age mine workings along with metal produced from controlled smelting
Williams, R. A.
Characterising Bronze Age copper from the Great Orme mine in North Wales to determine and interpret its distribution. The Great Orme copper mine on the coast of North Wales is one of the largest surviving Bronze Age mines in Europe. However, linking the mine to metal artefacts has been impeded by influential claims in the literature of the 1990s that the mine could only produce low impurity metal, which is uncommon in Bronze Age Britain. This has marginalised the importance of the mine as a metal source combined with the claim that the mine was only large because it was worked on a small scale for nearly a millennium. In addition, the past use of lead isotopes has produced confusing evidence due to the mineâs radiogenic ores and a lead ore vein crossing the copper deposit. The main objective of this thesis is to resolve the confusion and contradictions in the literature and allow the distribution of Great Orme metal to be determined and interpreted. Applying an interdisciplinary approach, involving ore geology, mineralogy, geochemistry and pyrotechnology, a new methodology has been developed. This is based on the concept of establishing mine-based metal groups rather than using the existing artefact-based metal groups. Ore samples, taken throughout the Bronze Age mine workings along with metal produced from controlled smelting
characterising bronze_age copper great mine north_wales determine interpret distribution great copper mine coast north_wales one_large survive bronze_age mine europe however link mine metal artefact impede influential claim literature mine could_produce low metal uncommon bronze_age britain marginalise importance mine metal source combine claim mine large work small_scale addition past use lead_isotope produce confuse evidence due mine ore lead ore vein cross copper deposit main_objective resolve confusion contradiction literature allow distribution great metal determine interpret applying interdisciplinary involve ore geology mineralogy geochemistry new develop base_concept establish mine based metal group rather use exist artefact based metal group ore sample_take throughout bronze_age mine working along metal produce control smelting