The circulation of copper and bronze in Liguria (Northwest Italy) in the Early Iron Age

Pearce, Mark; Maggi, Roberto

Abstract

This paper uses the lead isotope data available in the literature to ask two questions concerning the circulation of copper and bronze in Liguria (Northwest Italy) in the Early Iron Age: firstly, does the data throw any light on the source of the copper used by metalworkers in the region and, secondly, do the lead isotope data show any variation that correlates with typological difference? This second question aims to understand whether finished metal objects circulated over wide distances in the Early Iron Age or whether we should rather envisage the transmission of fashions and ideas.
The data used consists of published lead isotope analyses of Southern European copper ores and of artefacts from the mid-8th to late-7th century BC cemetery of Chiavari (GE), supplemented by the published data available for artefacts from the 9th century BC hoard of Monte Cavanero (Chiusa Pesio CN) as a comparison. The Chiavari cemetery is an illuminating case study because there is evidence for contemporary copper mining in its hinterland at Monte Loreto (Castiglione Chiavarese GE) and the community that used the cemetery traded with late Villanovan and Orientalising Etruria.
Our review of the data concludes that local copper resources are most likely to have been used by the metallurgists who made the artefacts in both assemblages and that this suggests the circulation of fashions and ideas rather than documenting trade in finished objects.

Citation

Pearce, M., & Maggi, R. (2023). The circulation of copper and bronze in Liguria (Northwest Italy) in the Early Iron Age. In L. Valdés, V. Cicolani, & E. Hiriart (Eds.), Matières premières en Europe au 1er Millénaire av. n. è. Exploitation, transformation, diffusion / La Europa de las materias primas en el Ier milenio a.n.e. Explotación, transformación y difusión: Actes du 45e colloque international de l’AFEAF (Gijón, 13-15 mai 2021) (337-350)

• Conference Name: 45ème Colloque International de l’AFEAF: L’Europe des matières premières au 1er millénaire av. n.è.: Exploitation, transformation, diffusion
• Conference Location: Gijón, Spain
• Start Date: May 13, 2021
• End Date: May 15, 2021
• Acceptance Date: May 9, 2022
• Publication Date: May 28, 2023
• Deposit Date: May 19, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: May 29, 2025
• Publisher: Association Française pour l'Étude de l'Âge du Fer
• Pages: 337-350
• Series Title: Actes des colloques de l'AFEAF
• Series Number: 45
• Series ISSN: 2728-7718
• Book Title: Matières premières en Europe au 1er Millénaire av. n. è. Exploitation, transformation, diffusion / La Europa de las materias primas en el Ier milenio a.n.e. Explotación, transformación y difusión: Actes du 45e colloque international de l’AFEAF (
• ISBN: 9782956740742
• Keywords: trade; copper; bronze; lead isotope analysis; Chiavari; Monte Cavanero
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/8134458
• Related Public URLs: http://www.afeaf.org/__colloques/fiche.asp?idModele=45&page=1&arbo=1