Copper + Tin + People: Public Co-Smelting Experimentation in Northwestern Iberia

Abstract

In the present paper an experiment made in north-western Iberia for producing bronze using local ores and similar techniques to those perhaps practiced by the ancient prehistoric metallurgists during Bronze Age is described. Preliminary results of SEM-EDS analysis made to the metallurgical products are also presented, showing that bronze could be produced in a simple smelting structure by smelting copper ores with tin ores (co-smelting), producing metallic prills of various Cu-Sn compositions and slags with heterogeneous microstrucutres.

Keywords

• copper
• tin
• smelting
• public archaeology
• bronze age
• portugal
• spain