Copper production landscapes of the South Caucasus

Publication date: September 2017
Source:Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Volume 47
Author(s): Nathaniel L. Erb-Satullo, Brian J.J. Gilmour, Nana Khakhutaishvili
Studies of metal production frequently show a correlation between scale and organizational complexity. The remarkably rich landscapes of metal-producing sites of late 2nd-early 1st millennium BC Colchis provide an unprecedented opportunity to reexamine this apparent correlation. Investigations of copper smelting sites show that industries with a large aggregate output can be the result of numerous small groups of metalworkers acting independently. Spatial data on site distributions, estimates of productive output, and archaeometric data on ore procurement patterns were integrated to reconstruct the organization of production. Judicious use of a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) showed that not only were smelting sites highly dispersed, but also that metalworkers at different sites were using ores from geologically distinct deposits. This innovative approach helped to reconstruct the organization of production in a distinctive metal production landscape, bridging an enduring divide between landscape-scale and microscopic investigations of craft production.

Graphical abstract

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