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Experimental reconstruction of the casting of copper ‘oxhide’ ingots

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Sven Van Lokeren
Sven Van Lokeren*
Affiliation:
Fitch Laboratory, British School at Athens, Odos Souedias 52, GR-10676 Athens, Greece. bsafitch@eexi.gr
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Extract

One of the most crucial elements in the dynamics of the Late Bronze Age metals trade in the Mediterranean was the production and exchange of copper 'oxhide' ingots (Knapp & Cherry 1994). These are basically flat, oblong slabs of nearly pure and unalloyed copper that weigh between 10 and 40 kg. The majority has an average weight of c. 29-30 kg however, and as a result this 'standard' has been traditionally equated with the existence of a 'talent'. They furthermore form a prominent part of the bulk cargo in shipwrecks discovered at Ulu Burun and Cape Gelidonya (Gale 1991). The results of an extensive programme of lead-isotope analyses aimed at determining the provenance of these ingots have led some archaeologists to propose that most of the ingots were produced from the rich copper resources on the island of Cyprus. Based on the same results, the Oxford group has also discussed the possibility of a specialized centre for their production in the Skouriotissa region of the island (Stos-Gale et ~ l . 1997

Type
News and notes
Information
Antiquity , Volume 74 , Issue 284 , June 2000 , pp. 275 - 276
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2000

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References

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