نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

1 Assistant Professor of Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Neurology, Faculty of Restoration - Department of Restoration and Archaeology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

چکیده

Shahdad is located on the western side of the Lut desert in the central Iranian Plateau. Shahdad has been a major focus of archaeological and archaeometallurgical research in the region due to extensive metallurgical activities documented at the site during the Bronze Age and for having the most abundant remains of copper metallurgy in southeastern Iran. The metallurgical developments at Shahdad have been well documented due to the previous studies by researchers working on the vast peripherial area of Shahdad dating to the period when the settlement was a permanently occupied city during the 3rd millennium BCE. Our latest surveys at the site have identified copper extraction metallurgy across a very large area based on significant amounts of ancient metallurgical remains on the surface including copper ores, moulds, crucibles, furnaces and complete metal tools. Pottery and slag have been observed macroscopically and microscopically in order to find particular traces of the metallurgical processes used during the EBA of Shahdad. Preliminary observations supply a new synopsis by re-tracing the ancient metallurgy at Shahdad. This research has revealed that the metal-workers of Shahdad mainly used copper sulphide (covellite) as their primary Cu-bearing ores. Three different slag types were identified according to their color, external texture and fabrication. Pottery samples were associated with copper metallurgy based on their phase characterizations, which were interpreted as the artefact of a distinct step in the metallurgical production process. This pottery is very porous and rough-textured due to the particular additives, leading to the formation of copper carbonate and copper oxide enrichments in the voids of the ceramic fabric

کلیدواژه‌ها

عنوان مقاله [English]

Re-tracing Copper Metallurgy in the Shahdad Region (3rd Millennium BCE)

نویسندگان [English]

  • Nasir Eskandari 1
  • Seyed Mohammadamin Emami 2

1 Assistant Professor of Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Neurology, Faculty of Restoration - Department of Restoration and Archaeology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

چکیده [English]

Shahdad is located on the western side of the Lut desert in the central Iranian Plateau. Shahdad has been a major focus of archaeological and archaeometallurgical research in the region due to extensive metallurgical activities documented at the site during the Bronze Age and for having the most abundant remains of copper metallurgy in southeastern Iran. The metallurgical developments at Shahdad have been well documented due to the previous studies by researchers working on the vast peripherial area of Shahdad dating to the period when the settlement was a permanently occupied city during the 3rd millennium BCE. Our latest surveys at the site have identified copper extraction metallurgy across a very large area based on significant amounts of ancient metallurgical remains on the surface including copper ores, moulds, crucibles, furnaces and complete metal tools. Pottery and slag have been observed macroscopically and microscopically in order to find particular traces of the metallurgical processes used during the EBA of Shahdad. Preliminary observations supply a new synopsis by re-tracing the ancient metallurgy at Shahdad. This research has revealed that the metal-workers of Shahdad mainly used copper sulphide (covellite) as their primary Cu-bearing ores. Three different slag types were identified according to their color, external texture and fabrication. Pottery samples were associated with copper metallurgy based on their phase characterizations, which were interpreted as the artefact of a distinct step in the metallurgical production process. This pottery is very porous and rough-textured due to the particular additives, leading to the formation of copper carbonate and copper oxide enrichments in the voids of the ceramic fabric.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

  • Shahdad
  • Archaeometallurgy
  • Copper Smelting
  • Early Bronze Age
  • Craft Specialization
Bachmann, H.-G., 1982, The identification of slags from archaeological sites, Institute of Archaeology.
Bayani M. E. (1979), Primi risultati dello scavo nel quartiere artigiano di Shahdad (Kerman, Iran). Aspetti della produzione metallurgica alla fine del terzo millennio in Iran. Unpublished M.A. Thesis, Università La Sapienza, Roma.
Bayley J and Rehren T., 2007, ‘Towards a functional and typological classification of crucibles’, in S La Niece, D Hook and P Craddock (eds), Metals and mines. Studies in archaeometallurgy (London), 46–55.
Bottaini, C., R. Vilaça, N. Schiavon, J. Mirão, A. Candeias, R. Bordalo, G. Paternoster, and I. Montero-Ruiz, 2016, New insights on Late Bronze Age Cu-metallurgy from Coles de Samuel hoard (Central Portugal): A combined multi-analytical approach, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 7, 344-357.
Bourgarit, D., 2019, Mineralogy of slags: A key approach for our understanding of ancient copper smelting processes, 203-232.
Caldwell, R. J, (ed.). 1967. Investigations at Tal-i-Iblis (Illinois State Museum Preliminary Reports 9). Springfield: Illinois State Museum Society.
Chernykh, E.N., 1992. Ancient metallurgy in the USSR: the early metal age, CUP Archive.
Chernykh, E., 2009. Ancient metallurgy in the Eurasian steppes and China: problems of interactions, See Mei & Rehren 2009, 3-8.
Craddock, P. T., 1999, Paradigms of metallurgical innovation in prehistoric Europe: in: The Beginnings of Metallurgy, p. 175-192.
Dardeniz, G., Yıldırım, T., 2022. Metal consumption of a middle-range society in the late 3rd millennium BC Anatolia: A new socioeconomic approach, PloS one 17, 1-38.
de Rijk, P., 2003, De scoriis. Eisenverhuttung und Eisenverarbeitung im nordwestlichen Elbe-Weser-Raum.
Emami, M., 2002, Mineralogische Untersuchungen zur Archaeometallurgie von Toroud, Iran, Deutschland-Mainz: Diplomarbeit, Fachbereich fuer Geowissenschaften der ….
Emami, M., 2014, “Toroud”, the late motion for As-Sb bearing Cu prodution from 2nd millennium BC in Iran: An archaeometallurgical approach, Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 14(2), 169-188.
Emami, M., 2017, A Review on Archaeometallurgy of Copper from Halil Region Based on Petrograpgical- Chemical Investigation on Ancient Copper Slags, Parseh Journal of Archaeological Studies, 1(1), 99-111.
Emami, S. M., and M. Shahsavari, 2020, Kahiro II: The Importance of Copper Oxide Extraction Technology in 4th Millennium BC in Halil River Basin, Journal of Research on Archaeometry, 6(2), 41-55. (in Persian)
Emami, M., 2018, Achaemenid Bronze! Quid Est? Archeometallurgical Investigations on Some Bronze Artefacts from Persepolis. Acta iranica 58, L’Orient est son Jardin, ed. S.G.H.H. (eds. Sebastien Gondet). 157–166.
Eskandari, N., 2019. Regional patterns of Early Bronze Age urbanization in the southeastern Iran. New discoveries on the western fringe of Dasht‑e Lut. In J.-W. Meyer, E. Vila, M. Mashkour, M. Casanova and R. Vallet (eds.) The Iranian Plateau during the Bronze Age. Development of Urbanisation, Production and Trade. Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée, Jean Pouilloux, Lyon, 201-216.
ـــــــــــــــــــــــ, 2021. Dig it up: A reconsideration of old excavations at the urban center of Shahdad. Journal of Archaeological Studies, Vol. 12, pp. 25-48.
Eskandari, N., K. Niknami, M. Viddale., 2021. The Bronze Age Center of Shahdad, South-East Iran: “Hollow” vs. Nucleated Early Urban Processes. East and West, 61, pp. 31-46.
Frame, Lesley, 2004. Investigations at Tal-I Iblis: Evidence for Copper Smelting during Chalcolithic Period, M.S Dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (Unpublished).
Hakemi, A., 1992. The copper smelting furnaces of the Bronze Age in Shahdad. In Jarrige C. (ed.), South Asian Archaeology 1989. Papers from the Tenth International Conference of South Asia Archaeologists in Western Europe, Musée national des Arts asiatiques, Guimet, Paris, France, 3-7 July 1989. Monographs in World Archaeology no.14, Madison, Wisconsin, 119-132.
ـــــــــــــــــــــــ, 1997. Shahdad: archaeological excavations of a Bronze Age center in Iran. Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, Centro scavi e ricerche archeologiche, Reports and Memoirs 27. Rome.
Hauptmann, A., 2007, The archaeometallurgy of copper: evidence from Faynan, Jordan, Springer Science & Business Media.
Hauptmann, A., F. Begemann, and S. Schmitt-Strecker, 1999, Copper objects from Arad: their composition and provenance, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 314(1), 1-17.
Hauptmann, A., T. Rehren, and S. Schmitt-Strecker, 2003, Early Bronze Age copper metallurgy at Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran) reconsidered: Der Anschnitt, Beiheft 16, Deutsches Bergbau-Museum.
Hezarkhani, Z., and I. Keesmann, 1996, Archäometallurgische Untersuchungen im Gebiet von Saghand-Posht-e-Badam (Zentraliran). Metalla (Forschungsberichte des Deutschen Bergbau-Museums, Bochum) 3.2 (1996), 101-125, Metalla.
Hein, A., I. Karatasios, N. S. Müller, and V. Kilikoglou, 2013, Heat transfer properties of pyrotechnical ceramics used in ancient metallurgy. Thermochimica Acta, 573: p. 87-94.
Hess, K., A. Hauptmann, H. Wright, and R. Whallon, 1998, Evidence of fourth millennium BC silver production at Fatmalı-Kalecik, East Anatolia. Metallurgica antiqua: In honour of Hans-Gert Bachmann and Robert Maddinin in Th. Rehren, A. Hauptmann, D. J. Muhly (eds) Metallurgica Antiqua, Der Anschnitt Beiheft 8, p. 57-68.
Hiebert, F. T., and C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky., 1992. Central Asia and the Indo-Iranian Borderlands. Iran 30, pp 1-15.
Humphris, J., M. Martinon-Torres, T. Rehren, and A. Reid, 2009, Variability in single smelting episodes–a pilot study using iron slag from Uganda, Journal of Archaeological Science, 36(2), 359-369.
Kaboli, M.A. 1997. The Report of the tenth season of excavation at the ancient Shahdad, Gozaresh-ha-ye Bastan Shenasi, Tehran: 87–124 (In Persian).
Kaboli, M.A. 2001. The Report of the twelfth season of excavation at the ancient Shahdad, Pajoheshnameh, Tehran: 239–266 (In Persian).
Kaboli, M.A. 2002. The Report of the eleventh season of excavation at the ancient Shahdad, Pajoheshnameh, Tehran: 181–141 (In Persian).
Kaniuth, K., 2007, The Metallurgy of the Late Bronze Age Sapalli Culture (Southern Uzbekistan) and its implications for the 'tin question', Iranica Antiqua, 42(0), 23-40.
Keesmann, I., H. G. Niemeyer, and F. Golschani, 1983a, Schlackenfunde von Toscanos, Madrider Mitteilungen, (24), 65-75.
Keesmann, I., J. Preuss, and J. Endres, 1983b, Eisengewinnung aus lateritischen Erzen, Ruki-Region, Provinz Equateur/Zaaire, Offa, 40, 183-190.
Keesmann I. 1989, Chemische und mineralogische Detailuntersuchungen zur Interpretation eisenreicher Schlacken. In: Pleiner R (ed) Archaeometallurgy of Iron, 1967–1987. Symposium Liblice 1987, Prague, pp 17–34
Keesmann I., 1991, Rio Tinto: Die Technik der Silbergewinnung zu Beginn des Mittelalters. In: Argent, plomb et cuivre dans l’histoire. Lyon 1991, pp 1–13
Lamberg-Karlovsky, C. C., 1967, Archeology and Metallurgical Technology in Prehistoric Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan., American Anthropologist, Vol. 69(No. 2), 145-162.
Liu, S., Rehren, T., Pernicka, E., Hausleiter, A., 2015, Copper processing in the oases of northwest Arabia: technology, alloys and provenance. Journal of Archaeological Science, 53, p. 492-503.
Maddin, R., T. S. Wheeler, and J. D. Muhly, 1977, Tin in the Ancient Near East: Old Questions and New Finds., Expedition, Vol. 19(No. 2), 35-47.
Maddin, R., Muhly, J. D. and Stech, T., 1999, Early metalworking at Cayönü, In: A. Hauptmann, E. Pernicka, Th. Rehren and U. Yalcin (eds.), The Beginnings of Metallurgy, Der Anschnitt, Beiheft 9, Bochum, 37-44.
Majidzadeh, Y., 1979, An early prehistoric coppersmith at Tepe Ghabristan, Akten des VII Internationalen Kongresses für iranische Kunst und Archaeologie, Archaeologische Mitteilung aus Iran, Ergaenzungsband 6, 82-92.
Maggetti, M., 2001, Chemical analyses of ancient ceramics: What for?, CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 55(11), 923-930.
Meier, D.M.P., 2011, Archaeometallurgical Investigations of Bronze Age Metal Finds from Shahdad and Tepe Yahya1. Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies, 1(2), 25-34.
Meier, D.M.P., Kaveh´ s forefathers: Traces of protohistorical metallurgical activities during the 3 rd millennium BCE in Eastern Iran with a special focus on the case of Shahdad in the Dasht-eh Lut (Kerman province), in Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften Department. 2017, Dissertation, Freie Universitaet Berlin. p. 488.
Meier, D., Vidale, M., 2013. The “Man with Serpents” revisited. On a Figurated Pin from the Bronze Age Site of Shahdad (Kerman, Iran), Iranian journal of archaeological studies 3, 1-9.
McDonnell, J., 1991, A model for the formation of smithing slags, Materialy Archeologiczne, 26, 23-26.
Muhly, J. D., 1989, Cayönü Tepesi and the beginnings of metallurgy in the Old World, In: A. Hauptmann, E. Pernicka and G. A. Wagner (eds.), Old World Archaeometallurgy, Der Anschnitt, Beiheft 7, Bochum, 1-11.
Muhly, J. D., 1985, Sources of tin and the beginnings of bronze metallurgy, American Journal of Archaeology, 275-291.
Ottaway, B. S., 2001, Innovation, production and specialization in early prehistoric copper metallurgy, European Journal of Archaeology, 4(1), 87-112.
Pigott, V. C., 2004, On the importance of Iran in the study of prehistoric copper-base metallurgy, Persiens Antike Pracht. Katalog der Ausstellung des Deutschen Bergbau-Museums Bochum vom, 28, 28-43.
Pigott, V. C., 1999, A heartland of Metallurgy, Neolithic/Chalcolithic metallurgical origins on the Iranian Plateau, in; The beginning of Metallurgy, Der Anschnitt, beiheft 9, 107-120
Rademakers, F. W., and C. Farci, 2018, Reconstructing bronze production technology from ancient crucible slag: experimental perspectives on tin oxide identification, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 18, 343-355.
Rafiei-Alavi, B., Bahrololoumi, F. & Klein, S., 2022, Three Women from Elam: A Revision of the Haft Tappeh Metal Plaque. Bulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research, 387(1), 171-180.
 
Rehren, T., L. Boscher, and Pernicka, E., 2012, Large scale smelting of speiss and arsenical copper at Early Bronze Age Arisman, Iran. Journal of Archaeological Science, 39(6): p. 1717-1727.
Rehren, T., Asderaki-Tzoumerkioti, E., Skafida, E., Karnava, A., 2013. Bronze Age crucibles from the Kastro-Palaia settlement, Volos, Greece–a contradiction of form and function?, Historical Metallurgy 47, 111-124.
Rostoker, W., Pigott, V.C., Dvorak, J.R., 1989. Direct Reduction to Copper Metal by Oxide--Sulfide Mineral Interaction, Archeomaterials 3, 69-87.
Salvatori, S., and M. Tosi., 1997. Postscriptum: Some Reflections on Shahdad and its Place in the Bronze Age of Middle Asia. in  A. Hakemi. Shahdad: Archaeological Investigations of a Bronze Age Center in Iran. Instituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, Centro scavi e richerche archeologiche, Reports and Memoirs 27. Rome: Oxford & IBH, p. 121-138.
Thornton, C.P., 2009. The Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age metallurgy of Tepe Hissar, Northeast Iran: A challenge to the ‘Levantine Paradigm’, University of Pennsylvania.
Thornton C. P., 2009, The emergence of complex metallurgy on the Iranian plateau: Escaping the Levantine paradigm’, Journal of World Prehistory 22, 301–327.
Thornton, C. P., 2010, The Rise of Arsenical Copper in Southeastern Iran, Iranica Antiqua, 45(0), 31-50.
Thornton, C. P., 2014, The Emergence of Complex Metallurgy on the Iranian Plateau, in Archaeometallurgy in Global Perspective, 665-696, Springer.
Thornton, C. P., and T. Rehren, 2007, Report on the first Iranian prehistoric slag workshop, Iran, 45, 315-318.
Vidale M. (2006-2008) Šahdad. Reallexikon der Assyriologie  und Vorderasiatische Archäologie 11, Berlin, de Gruyter, 535-537. 
Wayman, M. L., and M. J. M. Duke, eds., 1999, The effects of melting of native copper: Der Anschnitt-The Beginings of Metallurgy: Bochum, Zeitschrift für Kunst und Kultur im Bergbau.
Weeks, L., 2013, Iranian metallurgy of the fourth millennium BC in its wider technological and cultural contexts. , in Ancient Iran and Its Neighbours: Local Developments and Long-Range Interactions in the Fourth Millennium B.C., 278-291, C. A. Petrie, ed., Archaeological Monograph Series III. Oxford: Oxbow, British Institute of Persian Studies.
Weeks, L., 2016. Iran and the Bronze Age Metals Trade in the Persian Gulf, International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists 2, 13-25.
Wertime, T. A., 1964, Man's First Encounters with Metallurgy: Man's discovery of ores and metals helped to shape his sense of science, technology, and history, Science, 146(3649), 1257-1267.
Xie, P., Rehren, T., 2009. Scientific analysis of lead-silver smelting slag from two sites in China, Metallurgy and civilisation: Eurasia and beyond, 177-183.