Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Egyptian copper's origin revealed
Valentina Ruiz Leotaud | about 9 hours ago |
Copper is not only a hot commodity right now. It was very much so in the c. 3rd millennium BC.
Two new studies published in the Journal of Archaeological Science unveil where ancient Egyptians got the red metal from.
According to one the studies, led by Frederik Rademakers of KU Leuven in Belgium, there was predominant reliance on relatively local ore from the Eastern Desert and the Sinai Peninsula.
Based on isotope and chemical analyses of 40 metal samples from funerary objects and seven ore samples dating from the Predynastic, Protodynastic and Old Kingdom Periods, the research suggests significant developments in smelting technology that may have been adapted to different ore types.
More:
http://www.mining.com/egyptian-coppers-origin-revealed/
