The introduction of metallurgy in Sicily: preliminary data using a pXRF

Summary

Several artifacts representing the oldest metals known in Sicily (Copper to Middle Bronze Age) together with many from the Late Bronze Age have been analyzed using a portable XRF to determine their composition. These are nearly all of the early metal artifacts existing in Sicilian museums. Multiple spot analyses have been performed and averages obtained to alleviate potential heterogeneities on the surface of metals, ensuring consistency and validity of the data. Among the materials, there were many swords and daggers, with a more limited selection of ornaments. Evidence of metalworking within Sicily is rare, as are metal vessels and ingots, even if scraps are considered.

The preliminary results show a marked use of nearly pure copper in most cases, especially for the Copper and MBA artifacts. They also reveal a very late introduction of alloys made of added tin or arsenic, with swords in pure copper still present in Late Bronze Age funerary contexts. Metals were probably not widely available until the Early Iron Age, because there are no prehistoric ore sources known in Sicily. A comparison with other areas rich in metals shows marked differences. Future research will target Calabria, the nearest region culturally and geographically with more mines.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

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