STUDY OF BRONZE AGE COPPER-BASED SWORDS OF TYPE NAUE II AND SPEARHEADS FROM GREECE AND ALBANIA

Authors

  • M. Koui Materials Science and Engineering Section, School of Chemical Engineering, NTUA, Athens
  • P. Papandreopoulos Materials Science and Engineering Section, School of Chemical Engineering, NTUA, Athens
  • E. Andreopoulou-Mangou National Archaeological Museum, Athens
  • L. Papazoglou-Manioudaki National Archaeological Museum, Athens
  • A. Priftaj-Vevecka Physics of Materials Section, Department of Physics, Technical University of Tirana
  • F. Stamati Conservation and Archaeometry Laboratory of Folk Culture Institute of Tirana

Keywords:

Bronze, Swords Naue II, Ancient Metallurgy, AAS, ICP-AES, EDXRF

Abstract

Through the present work an effort is made to approach Bronze Age copper-based swords and spears, typologically identical which have come to light at archeological excavations in Greece and Albania. The main aim of this work is to examine and correlate the copper technology in these areas and this has been attempted for first time. The chemical composition determined gave results on the level of the ancient copper technology, while microscopic examination gave some results on the level of the ancient metalworking (casting and hammering).

The swords of Naue II type (13th-12th century BC) are the last in the series of swords used in Mycenaean Greece.The determination of the chemical composition was done by the use of Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) techniques. Also a video microscope was used for the microscopic examination of the objects.

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Published

2023-07-24

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2006)

Section

Articles