Dr Emma Wager Prof Barbara S Ottaway

Abstract

Ore processing is a fundamental step in copper metal production. Despite our burgeoning knowledge of Bronze Age copper mining in the British Isles, unambiguous evidence for this activity during the 2nd millennium BC remains scarce here. In contrast, recent excavations on the continent have uncovered well-preserved, securely-dated evidence for ore processing, particularly the use of gravity separation in water, during the Bronze Age at sites such as Troiboden in the Mitterberg, Austria. This paper considers the implications of this evidence for our understanding of Bronze Age ore processing within British contexts, particularly on the Great Orme headland. At the site of Ffynnon Rhufeinig, located close to a water source near extensive prehistoric mine workings, beneficiated mining waste has been excavated and radiocarbon dated to the Early Bronze Age. We argue that, to avoid destruction, such sites deserve better recognition and conservation as part of complex, multi-phase prehistoric mining landscapes.

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References
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How to Cite
Optimal versus minimal preservation: two case studies of Bronze Age ore processing sites. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 52(1), 22-32. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/31
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How to Cite

Optimal versus minimal preservation: two case studies of Bronze Age ore processing sites. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 52(1), 22-32. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/31