TITLE:
Sumerian Arsenic Copper and Tin Bronze Metallurgy (5300-1500 BC): The Archaeological and Cuneiform Textual Evidence
AUTHORS:
Lucas Braddock Chen
KEYWORDS:
Copper, Bronze, Cuneiform, Metallurgy, Mesopotamia
JOURNAL NAME:
Archaeological Discovery,
Vol.9 No.3,
July
12,
2021
ABSTRACT: Copper was one of the first metals to be utilized since 8000 BC. Arsenic copper became popular due to its lower melting point and decreased metal porosity, allowing for the creation of longer metal blades. Tin bronze began appearing around 3500 BC, and its superior recyclability and malleability made it the favorite metal alloy until the prevalence of iron. Bronze alloy was limited by its requirement of tin, which was more difficult to acquire than copper in ancient Mesopotamia. This manuscript describes the ancient trade of copper and tin based on the cuneiform texts. The paper will also list the cuneiform texts that described steps of metallurgy, including the tools, furnaces, and crucibles utilized in Sumerian metallurgy. This paper reports the analysis of the metallurgy techniques described by cuneiform to the chemical analysis of copper artifacts in order to provide a better understanding of the meaning of Sumerian metallurgy cuneiform texts.