Severin, T;
Rehren, T;
Schleicher, H;
(2011)
Early metal smelting in Aksum, Ethiopia: Copper or iron?
European Journal of Mineralogy
, 23
(6)
pp. 981-992.
10.1127/0935-1221/2011/0023-2167.
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Abstract
A selection of archaeometallurgical remains from the 3rd/4th century A.D., found in Aksum, Ethiopia, were analysed in order to determine the nature of the process by which they were produced, i.e. copper or iron smelting. Chemical and mineralogical analyses excluded a relationship to copper smelting; instead, all samples are consistent with a highly efficient iron smelting operation using the bloomery process and slag tapping furnaces. A lateritic iron ore containing at least 80 wt% FeO was smelted, resulting in an estimated one unit by weight of iron metal produced for every unit by weight of slag left behind, and little erosion of furnace wall material. The zoning of spinels, with chromium- and aluminium-rich inner parts and mixed hercynitic-ulvitic outer rims, reflects the evolution of the melt phase under strongly reducing conditions.
Type: | Article |
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Title: | Early metal smelting in Aksum, Ethiopia: Copper or iron? |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.1127/0935-1221/2011/0023-2167 |
Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2011/0023-2167 |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | Copyright © 2011 E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, D-70176 Stuttgart.This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
Keywords: | archaeometallurgy, iron, copper, smelting, Aksum, Ethiopia, archaeology, slag, mass balance estimate |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology > Institute of Archaeology Gordon Square |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1475296 |
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