Geologıcal ınvestıgatıon on the early-metallurgıe ın nw-anatolıa

Authors : G.a. WAGNER, E. PERNICKA, T.c. SEELIGER, Ö. ÖZTUNALI, I. BARANYI, F. BEGEMANN, S. SCHMITT-STRECKER

Pages : 45-81

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Publication Date : 1984-06-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :During summer 1983 a geologic campaign to Northwestern Anatolia was undertaken in order to investigate remains of early metallurgical activities in this important region. The purpose of this study is to find early mining and smelting sites, to reconstruct the metallurgical processes and to establish the role of the various copper, lead-silver and gold production centres. The field work was kindly supported by the MTA and Etibank authorities. Altogether about 75 sites, mostly on the Biga peninsula, were visited. Among them are the silver-lead mines of Balya, which were repeatedly exploited since prehistoric times, and the ancient gold mines of Astyra near Troy. Reports on early tin production at Madenbelenitepe near Bursa could not be confirmed. Some of the sites were dated with thermoluminescence and radiocarbon techniques. Lead isotope values interpreted with the samples from other parts of the Aegean region in the isochron diagrams. Apart from the results obtained in few samples from Lesvos, Samos and Chios islands, even though all the samples show different mineralization environment, phase and genesis, it is determined that they have. Similar isotopic constituents. The ore and the slag samples were analyzed by neutron activation, atomic absorption, X-ray fluorescence and lead-isotope mass spectrometry. In order to establish the importance of the various raw metal sources in antiquity the analytical data of the ores were compared with analyses of bronze artefacts from Troy and other archaeological sites. On the base of these data it appears that the analyzed EBA metal artefacts of Troad were predominantly produced from ores of other regions.
Keywords : metallurgical, copper, lead, silver, gold