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Metallurgy and specialisation in Prepalatial Mesara, Crete

Metallurgy and specialisation in Prepalatial Mesara, Crete The purpose of this paper is to examine the technological knowledge and the technological level of copper metallurgy in the Mesara plain in Crete, during the Prepalatial period. In order to investigate this issue, objects from several (12) sites in the area were chosen for examination. In this way, the technological level of the area and each site could be safely ascertained. From the 55 objects that were examined, a very small sample was taken, which was the subject of metallographic and chemical analyses. By using these methods, the manufacturing processes for the production of each object, as well as the alloy that was used in each case, were identified. The combination of these two methods, along with typology of the objects and the number of objects produced at each site, provided safe conclusions as to the technological knowledge and the possible specialisation of metal production in each site and period. In the end, a lack of homogeneity in the Mesara plain was noticed as concerns the production of copper objects. Some sites seem to have a dominant position, with larger production and trading of metal artefacts, while other sites fail to provide any indication of metal production, and it is very possible that the metal objects were obtained from the neighbouring sites. Finally, the existence of specialised production is obvious in some sites in the Mesara plain, especially in the case of two groups of objects (triangular and long daggers), while the lack of organised and standardised production is obvious in the case of some other sites in the same area. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Springer Journals

Metallurgy and specialisation in Prepalatial Mesara, Crete

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References (28)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
Earth Sciences; Earth Sciences, general; Archaeology; Chemistry/Food Science, general; Geography, general; Life Sciences, general; Anthropology
ISSN
1866-9557
eISSN
1866-9565
DOI
10.1007/s12520-009-0019-y
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the technological knowledge and the technological level of copper metallurgy in the Mesara plain in Crete, during the Prepalatial period. In order to investigate this issue, objects from several (12) sites in the area were chosen for examination. In this way, the technological level of the area and each site could be safely ascertained. From the 55 objects that were examined, a very small sample was taken, which was the subject of metallographic and chemical analyses. By using these methods, the manufacturing processes for the production of each object, as well as the alloy that was used in each case, were identified. The combination of these two methods, along with typology of the objects and the number of objects produced at each site, provided safe conclusions as to the technological knowledge and the possible specialisation of metal production in each site and period. In the end, a lack of homogeneity in the Mesara plain was noticed as concerns the production of copper objects. Some sites seem to have a dominant position, with larger production and trading of metal artefacts, while other sites fail to provide any indication of metal production, and it is very possible that the metal objects were obtained from the neighbouring sites. Finally, the existence of specialised production is obvious in some sites in the Mesara plain, especially in the case of two groups of objects (triangular and long daggers), while the lack of organised and standardised production is obvious in the case of some other sites in the same area.

Journal

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences – Springer Journals

Published: Nov 6, 2009

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