Moritz Jansen
University of Pennsylvania, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Department Member
- Archaeometry, Archaeometallurgy, Archaeometallurgy, Mineralogy, Archaeometry, Archaeological Science, Geoarchaeology, Gold mining, and 23 moreArchaeology, Bronze and Iron Ages in Eastern Mediterranean (Archaeology), Prehistoric Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Aegean Archaeology, Aegean Bronze Age (Bronze Age Archaeology), Mediterranean archaeology, Aegean Prehistory (Archaeology), Ancient Technology (Archaeology), Caucasus, Ancient Metallurgy, Archaeology of Mining, Copper extraction and production, Early Bronze Age, Chalcolithic, Landscape Archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Mediterranean prehistory, Metallurgy, Ceramic Technology, Bronze Age (Archaeology), Ancient Mining and Metallurgy, and Bronze Age Archaeologyedit
Lead isotope and portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were applied to a small group of Hellenistic lead objects from Tell Iztabba (Beth Shean, Israel). The market weights and sling bullets from this short-lived... more
Lead isotope and portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were applied to a small group of Hellenistic lead objects from Tell Iztabba (Beth Shean, Israel). The market weights and sling bullets from this short-lived Seleucid-founded site were analysed in order to understand their production process and the provenance of the raw materials. The sling bullets are of pure lead, and its lead isotopic signature suggests that the lead was produced from Lavrion ores. The weights are heterogeneous in composition and point to the use of mixed or reused scrap metal. Anatolian or Aegaean lead ores are the raw material sources for the weights. Whether the sling bullets belonged to the defenders of the site or to the attackers cannot be determined from the analysis, but their Greek provenance together with the fact that they were recovered at the site may suggest their use by its defenders.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Geology, and 15 moreLevantine Archaeology, Palestine, Decapolis Archaeology, Second Temple Judaism, Provenance, Archaeometry, Biblical Archaeology, Archaeometallurgy, Seleucid Empire, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Ancient Mining and Metallurgy, Lead Isotope Analysis, Ancient Weapons and Warfare, Hellenistic warfare, and Ancient lead weights
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Utilizing geochemical analysis, this study identifies the sources of European brass used in the casting of the renowned Benin Bronzes, produced by the Edo people of Nigeria. It is commonly believed that distinctive brass rings known as... more
Utilizing geochemical analysis, this study identifies the sources of European brass used in the casting of the renowned Benin Bronzes, produced by the Edo people of Nigeria. It is commonly believed that distinctive brass rings known as “manillas”, used as currency in the European trade in West Africa, also served as a metal source for the making of the Bronzes. However, prior to the current study, no research had conclusively connected the Benin artworks and the European manillas. For this research, manillas from shipwrecks in African, American and European waters dating between the 16th and 19th Century were analysed using ICP-MS analysis. Comparing trace elements and lead isotope ratios of manillas and Benin Bronzes identifies Germany as the principal source of the manillas used in the West African trade between the 15th and 18th centuries before British industries took over the brass trade in the late 18th century.
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Research Interests: Archaeology and Art
In dieser Studie werden archäologische Goldartefakte der Bronzezeit aus Georgien und aus Mesopotamien mit naturwissenschaftlichen Analyseverfahren untersucht. Dabei stehen neben technologischen Gesichtspunkten übergeordnet zwei... more
In dieser Studie werden archäologische Goldartefakte der Bronzezeit aus Georgien und aus Mesopotamien mit naturwissenschaftlichen Analyseverfahren untersucht. Dabei stehen neben technologischen Gesichtspunkten übergeordnet zwei Fragestellungen im Vordergrund, die sowohl unter Einsatz von zerstörungsfreien als auch von minimal-invasiven und probenverbrauchenden Methoden bearbeitet werden: Zum einen wird erforscht, ob es möglich ist, spezifische Goldlagerstätten für Goldfunde zu identifizieren und so den Weg vom Artefakt zurück zur Lagerstätte zu ergründen. Zum anderen wird untersucht, ob es möglich, das Gold von Lagerstätten einer Region in lokalen Goldfunden zu identifizieren, um so den Weg von den Lagerstätten zu Artefakten nachzuvollziehen. Dazu werden Legierungszusammensetzungen, Spurenelementmuster sowie Isotopenzusammensetzungen von Blei, Kupfer und Osmium von Artefakt- und Naturgold charakterisiert, um ihr Potenzial für Provenienzstudien von Goldartefakten zu bewerten.
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Lead isotope and portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were applied to a small group of Hellenistic lead objects from Tell Iztabba (Beth Shean, Israel). The market weights and sling bullets from this short-lived... more
Lead isotope and portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry were applied to a small group of Hellenistic lead objects from Tell Iztabba (Beth Shean, Israel). The market weights and sling bullets from this short-lived Seleucid-founded site were analysed in order to understand their production process and the provenance of the raw materials. The sling bullets are of pure lead, and its lead isotopic signature suggests that the lead was produced from Lavrion ores. The weights are heterogeneous in composition and point to the use of mixed or reused scrap metal. Anatolian or Aegaean lead ores are the raw material sources for the weights. Whether the sling bullets belonged to the defenders of the site or to the attackers cannot be determined from the analysis, but their Greek provenance together with the fact that they were recovered at the site may suggest their use by its defenders.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Levantine Archaeology, and 14 moreAncient economies (Archaeology), Decapolis Archaeology, Second Temple Judaism, Archaeometry, Biblical Archaeology, Archaeometallurgy, Seleucid Empire, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Ancient Mining and Metallurgy, Lead Isotope Analysis, Ancient Weapons and Warfare, Tel Aviv, Hellenistic warfare, and Ancient lead weights
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The many gold and silver artifacts from the Early Dynastic Royal Tombs of Ur in Mesopotamia are among the greatest metal finds of Ancient Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC. Within the framework of a research project, 32 of these... more
The many gold and silver artifacts from the Early Dynastic Royal Tombs of Ur in Mesopotamia are among the greatest metal finds of Ancient Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC. Within the framework of a research project, 32 of these artifacts were analyzed for their composition using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and a scanning electron microscope. Predominantly gold-silver alloys rather than pure gold were identified, containing up to 50 wt.% of silver and often with additional copper content well above 10 wt.%. This spectrum of composition ranges from alloys that could be of natural origin to alloys that were intentionally produced. Some gold artifacts were deliberately blended to gold-silver-copper alloys for color gradation. In addition, Sumerian written sources from the end of the third millennium BC can be compared to the results of the analyses of this study and offer more information on the processing of these metals at that time. In the present study, it is sh...
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Research Interests: Archaeology and Geology
Gold artifacts recovered from the third millennium BCE Early Dynastic Royal Tombs of Ur in Mesopotamia represent a unique archaeological assemblage, due both to the size of the collection with hundreds of gold artifacts, and evidence for... more
Gold artifacts recovered from the third millennium BCE Early Dynastic Royal Tombs of Ur in Mesopotamia represent a unique archaeological assemblage, due both to the size of the collection with hundreds of gold artifacts, and evidence for highly-skilled processing techniques. The fact that there are no natural gold sources in Southern Mesopotamia prompts a question concerning the origin of the raw material used to create these artifacts. This project seeks to define the geochemical fingerprint of these artifacts in order to identify the origin of Ur’s gold through its chemical and isotopic composition. Ideally, this method could trace the gold back to the natural deposit(s) it derived from. Small variations in the composition of the gold artifacts indicate the use of a single alluvial gold source, or closely related sources with the same geological origin. Inclusions of natural alloys of platinum group elements in combination with the trace element tin indicate the use of placer gold. The numerous deposits in Egypt can be excluded due to our analysis, while the geochemical fingerprint pinpoints rich alluvial deposits located in Western Iran or Northern Afghanistan as the source of the gold.
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Copper (Cu) isotope ratios differ within individual deposits between hypogene and supergene ore sources. They are specific to the types of ore minerals used for metal production in ancient times, while traditional lead (Pb) isotope... more
Copper (Cu) isotope ratios differ within individual deposits between hypogene and supergene ore sources. They are specific to the types of ore minerals used for metal production in ancient times, while traditional lead (Pb) isotope signatures of ancient metals are specific to deposits. Late Bronze Age ingots from four sites in the Eastern Mediterranean were analyzed for their Cu and Pb isotope composition in this study. Thirteen out of fifteen ingots can be assigned to deposits in the Solea Graben ore fields in the northern part of the Troodos Ophiolite (Cyprus) through consistent Pb isotope ratios. The Cu isotope characterization of these ingots indicates the use of different ore mineral sources. A comparison with additional data for ingots made of copper with a Cypriot origin reveals four groups in the Cu isotope composition. These groups could reflect the accession of copper from individual mines through time, including a general trend from oxidized to sulfide ore mineral sources. The so-called slab ingots from Gelidonya are separated from the other ingots by their lead isotope composition and were assigned to ores from Laurion (Attica) in the past. In contrast to the others, these contain small amounts of tin, which previously was interpreted as reused scrap, but could alternatively indicate the use of specific ores bearing both copper and tin.
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Copper isotope ratios differ between hypogene sulfidic, supergene sulfidic and oxidized ore sources. Traditional lead isotope signatures of ancient metals are specific to deposits, while Cu isotope signatures are specific to the types of... more
Copper isotope ratios differ between hypogene sulfidic, supergene sulfidic and oxidized ore sources. Traditional lead isotope signatures of ancient metals are specific to deposits, while Cu isotope signatures are specific to the types of ore minerals used for metal production in ancient times. Two methodological case studies are presented: First, the mining district of Faynan (Jordan) was investigated. Here, mainly oxidized copper ores occur in the deposits. The production of copper from Fayan’s ore sources is confirmed by the measurement of the Cu isotope signature of ingots from the Early Bronze Age metal workshop from Khirbat Hamra Ifdan. Based on our results illustrating differences in the Cu isotope composition between the ore mineralizations from Timna (Israel) and Faynan, it is now possible to determine these prehistoric mining districts from which copper artifacts originated by combining trace elements and Pb isotopes with Cu isotopes. The second case study presents data on Late Bronze Age copper production in Cyprus. Oxhide ingots from the shipwreck of Uluburun (Turkey) were tested for their lead isotope signatures and assigned to Cypriot deposits in the recent decades. The oxhide ingots from Uluburun show a Cu isotope signature which we also found for oxidized copper ores from Cyprus, while younger oxhide ingots as well as metallurgical slag from the Cypriot settlements Kition and Enkomi show a different signature which might be due to the use of sulfidic ore sources from a greater depth of deposits. We assert that there could be a chronological shift from oxidized to sulfidic ore sources for the copper production in Cyprus, requiring different technologies. Therefore, Cu isotopes can be used as a proxy to reconstruct mining and induced smelting activities in ancient times.
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One of the most significant characteristics of the gold artifacts from the Early Dynastic Royal Tombs of Ur, Mesopotamia are numerous inclusions consisting of the platinum group elements (PGE) osmium–iridium–ruthenium. In nature, minerals... more
One of the most significant characteristics of the gold artifacts from the Early Dynastic Royal Tombs of Ur, Mesopotamia are numerous inclusions consisting of the platinum group elements (PGE) osmium–iridium–ruthenium. In nature, minerals of PGE (PGM) are enriched along with gold and other heavy minerals in placer deposits. During metallurgical gold extraction from placer material and subsequent production of artifacts, PGMs were incorporated in the gold artifacts due to their refractoriness almost unmodified. In order to evaluate their potential for provenance studies of gold, the PGE inclusions were analyzed for their chemical and Os-isotope compositions. They contain highly variable concentrations of Os (26–70 wt.%), Ir (14–62 wt.%) and Ru (0.4–45 wt.%). 187Os/188Os isotope ratios vary between 0.118 und 0.178. Due to the high Ru content of the alloys, the chemical composition point to a geological context of ophiolite complexes. Os isotope ratios are a powerful tool to narrow down the potential ore sources for the gold. However, the interpretation of calculated model ages is difficult due to the unknown genesis of the parental magma. Calculated ages (290–610 Ma) for measured 187Os/188Os of 0.125 using different reference values could indicate placers close to Paleozoic ophiolites like Samti (Takhar) in Northern Afghanistan and Zarshouran (Western Azerbaijan) in Iran, but need to be confirmed by additional measurements of their Os isotope signature in the future. Other archaeological relevant sources of PGM and gold could be excluded by direct comparison of their Os isotope data: 1.) old Neoproterozoic ophiolites from the Eastern Desert type (750–800 Ma), Egypt, 2.) young Mesozoic ophiolites from the Samail complex (96 Ma) in Oman. Thus, in combination with other tracers the Os isotope ratio is a valuable source for provenance studies.