Re-casting from scrap: The role of Ayia Irini in Bronze Age Aegean metallurgy

Summary

Metallurgy is considered key in understanding the prominence of Ayia Irini during the Bronze Age in the Aegean Sea. Over the course of the Bronze Age, metal production and circulation flourish, with Attica and the western Cyclades considered primary ore sources, with their importance fluctuating within this period. The role of Ayia Irini, located in the center of this metal-bearing zone and with extensive evidence for local metallurgical activities, remains to be clarified. A new project by the authors constitutes the first systematic analysis of the extensive collection of metal and metallurgical finds from Ayia Irini, excavated in the late 1960s and 1970s. The methodology involves archival research, macroscopic examination of all finds including fabric categorization of metallurgical ceramics, and non-invasive portable XRF analysis of metallic artifacts. Our research has so far identified over 1,000 objects, spanning all Bronze Age periods of occupation, as well as subsequent historical periods. This paper summarizes the emerging picture with regards to spatial and chronological distribution of Bronze Age metal and metallurgical finds at Ayia Irini. It discusses changing patterns of metal procurement, working, and consumption across the site and considers typological and technological changes over time.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Spatial Coverage