Jadar Project, Brooklyn College New York, US

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Jadar Project, Brooklyn College New York, US

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Publications

Iron Age and Roman metallurgical activities at the Spasovine placer tin deposit, West Serbia

Pacifico, Lina; Powell, Wayne; Bankoff, Arthur; Filipović, Vojislav; Bulatović, Aleksandar

(Elsevier, 2022)

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Pacifico, Lina
AU  - Powell, Wayne
AU  - Bankoff, Arthur
AU  - Filipović, Vojislav
AU  - Bulatović, Aleksandar
PY  - 2022
UR  - http://rai.ai.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1497
AB  - Spasovine, on the south flank of Mt. Cer in West Serbia, is one of the rare localities where Late Bronze Age placer tin mining activities have been documented. Archeological pedestrian surveys on this river terrace recovered ceramic fragments with metal-rich coatings, thought to be fragments of technical ceramics. The physical characteristics of the “petrol” gray-bodied ceramics are consistent with Roman Period ca. 200-300AD production, while black-bodied sherds are most consistent with Iron Age ceramics of western Serbia. SEM-EDS analysis of polished thin-sections and rough surfaces has shown that the fragments are enriched in various metallic residues (Zn, Sn, Cu, Pb in various combinations). Of the fourteen sherds studied, nine Roman samples contain Zn-rich coatings on the inner surfaces as well as deeper penetration of zinc enrichment into the ceramic interior, consistent with Zn cementation for brass. Three of these also contained younger addition of Sn, indicating that they were repurposed for bronze production at Spasovine. The prehistoric sherds contain tin along with Cu and Pb, consistent with the production of leaded tin bronze, which is not known from the area until the Iron Age (ca. 800-600BC). Thus, Spasovine was the site of itinerant mining and metallurgical activity, at least sporadically, over a period of 1700 years from the Late Bronze Age (14th century BCE) to the Roman Period (2nd-3rd century CE). This demonstrates that small deposits of placer tin could have had long-term impact on regional tin economies in ancient Europe.
PB  - Elsevier
T2  - Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
T1  - Iron Age and Roman metallurgical activities at the Spasovine placer tin deposit, West Serbia
SP  - 103619
VL  - 45
DO  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103619
ER  - 
@article{
author = "Pacifico, Lina and Powell, Wayne and Bankoff, Arthur and Filipović, Vojislav and Bulatović, Aleksandar",
year = "2022",
abstract = "Spasovine, on the south flank of Mt. Cer in West Serbia, is one of the rare localities where Late Bronze Age placer tin mining activities have been documented. Archeological pedestrian surveys on this river terrace recovered ceramic fragments with metal-rich coatings, thought to be fragments of technical ceramics. The physical characteristics of the “petrol” gray-bodied ceramics are consistent with Roman Period ca. 200-300AD production, while black-bodied sherds are most consistent with Iron Age ceramics of western Serbia. SEM-EDS analysis of polished thin-sections and rough surfaces has shown that the fragments are enriched in various metallic residues (Zn, Sn, Cu, Pb in various combinations). Of the fourteen sherds studied, nine Roman samples contain Zn-rich coatings on the inner surfaces as well as deeper penetration of zinc enrichment into the ceramic interior, consistent with Zn cementation for brass. Three of these also contained younger addition of Sn, indicating that they were repurposed for bronze production at Spasovine. The prehistoric sherds contain tin along with Cu and Pb, consistent with the production of leaded tin bronze, which is not known from the area until the Iron Age (ca. 800-600BC). Thus, Spasovine was the site of itinerant mining and metallurgical activity, at least sporadically, over a period of 1700 years from the Late Bronze Age (14th century BCE) to the Roman Period (2nd-3rd century CE). This demonstrates that small deposits of placer tin could have had long-term impact on regional tin economies in ancient Europe.",
publisher = "Elsevier",
journal = "Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports",
title = "Iron Age and Roman metallurgical activities at the Spasovine placer tin deposit, West Serbia",
pages = "103619",
volume = "45",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103619"
}
Pacifico, L., Powell, W., Bankoff, A., Filipović, V.,& Bulatović, A.. (2022). Iron Age and Roman metallurgical activities at the Spasovine placer tin deposit, West Serbia. in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Elsevier., 45, 103619.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103619
Pacifico L, Powell W, Bankoff A, Filipović V, Bulatović A. Iron Age and Roman metallurgical activities at the Spasovine placer tin deposit, West Serbia. in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 2022;45:103619.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103619 .
Pacifico, Lina, Powell, Wayne, Bankoff, Arthur, Filipović, Vojislav, Bulatović, Aleksandar, "Iron Age and Roman metallurgical activities at the Spasovine placer tin deposit, West Serbia" in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 45 (2022):103619,
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103619 . .

Tin Sources and regional Trade in the Bronze Age of Southeast Europe: Evidence from Tin Isotopes

Powell, Wayne; Bankoff, Arthur; Mason, Andrea; Mathur, Ryan; Bulatović, Aleksandar; Filipović, Vojislav

(National Archaeological Institute with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 2018)

TY  - CHAP
AU  - Powell, Wayne
AU  - Bankoff, Arthur
AU  - Mason, Andrea
AU  - Mathur, Ryan
AU  - Bulatović, Aleksandar
AU  - Filipović, Vojislav
PY  - 2018
UR  - http://rai.ai.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1442
AB  - The Balkan and Rhodope mountains of Bulgaria are rich in copper, gold, lead, zinc, and silver, for the most part associated with Alpine magmatism (Ciobanu et al. 2002). Copper ores from this region were exploited by prehistoric cultures as early as 5000 BCE (O’Brien 2014), with an estimated 500 tonnes of copper metal produced from the Chalcolithic mines of Ai Bunar alone (Черных 1978a). However, lacking volumetrically significant ores of tin, this metal must have been imported to supply Bulgarian bronze production in present day Bulgarian lands throughout Prehistory. Large-scale, trans-regional trade of tin was well established in the Late Bronze Age of the Eastern Mediterranean (Bass 1986; Galili et al. 1986). Given Bulgaria’s proximity to the Aegean, it is probable that this appropriate geographic location contributed to Bulgaria’s tin imports. However, well-documented tin ores occur in the Erzgebirge Mountains of Bohemia.  Some opinions exist about the important role of the ore deposits in the Dinaric Alps of west Serbia. These European ores may have contributed significantly to bronze production in the Lower Danube region (cf. Nessel, Pernicka, this volume).
PB  - National Archaeological Institute with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia
T2  - Gold&Bronze, Metals, Techologies and Interregional Contacts between in the Eastern Balkans during the Bronze Age
T1  - Tin Sources and regional Trade in the Bronze Age of Southeast Europe: Evidence from Tin Isotopes
EP  - 149
SP  - 141
UR  - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1442
ER  - 
@inbook{
author = "Powell, Wayne and Bankoff, Arthur and Mason, Andrea and Mathur, Ryan and Bulatović, Aleksandar and Filipović, Vojislav",
year = "2018",
abstract = "The Balkan and Rhodope mountains of Bulgaria are rich in copper, gold, lead, zinc, and silver, for the most part associated with Alpine magmatism (Ciobanu et al. 2002). Copper ores from this region were exploited by prehistoric cultures as early as 5000 BCE (O’Brien 2014), with an estimated 500 tonnes of copper metal produced from the Chalcolithic mines of Ai Bunar alone (Черных 1978a). However, lacking volumetrically significant ores of tin, this metal must have been imported to supply Bulgarian bronze production in present day Bulgarian lands throughout Prehistory. Large-scale, trans-regional trade of tin was well established in the Late Bronze Age of the Eastern Mediterranean (Bass 1986; Galili et al. 1986). Given Bulgaria’s proximity to the Aegean, it is probable that this appropriate geographic location contributed to Bulgaria’s tin imports. However, well-documented tin ores occur in the Erzgebirge Mountains of Bohemia.  Some opinions exist about the important role of the ore deposits in the Dinaric Alps of west Serbia. These European ores may have contributed significantly to bronze production in the Lower Danube region (cf. Nessel, Pernicka, this volume).",
publisher = "National Archaeological Institute with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia",
journal = "Gold&Bronze, Metals, Techologies and Interregional Contacts between in the Eastern Balkans during the Bronze Age",
booktitle = "Tin Sources and regional Trade in the Bronze Age of Southeast Europe: Evidence from Tin Isotopes",
pages = "149-141",
url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1442"
}
Powell, W., Bankoff, A., Mason, A., Mathur, R., Bulatović, A.,& Filipović, V.. (2018). Tin Sources and regional Trade in the Bronze Age of Southeast Europe: Evidence from Tin Isotopes. in Gold&Bronze, Metals, Techologies and Interregional Contacts between in the Eastern Balkans during the Bronze Age
National Archaeological Institute with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia., 141-149.
https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1442
Powell W, Bankoff A, Mason A, Mathur R, Bulatović A, Filipović V. Tin Sources and regional Trade in the Bronze Age of Southeast Europe: Evidence from Tin Isotopes. in Gold&Bronze, Metals, Techologies and Interregional Contacts between in the Eastern Balkans during the Bronze Age. 2018;:141-149.
https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1442 .
Powell, Wayne, Bankoff, Arthur, Mason, Andrea, Mathur, Ryan, Bulatović, Aleksandar, Filipović, Vojislav, "Tin Sources and regional Trade in the Bronze Age of Southeast Europe: Evidence from Tin Isotopes" in Gold&Bronze, Metals, Techologies and Interregional Contacts between in the Eastern Balkans during the Bronze Age (2018):141-149,
https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rai_1442 .