The beginning of copper mass production in the western Alps: the Saint-Véran mining area reconsidered
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Published
Nov 12, 2021
Abstract
In the Early Bronze Age copper production increases dramatically, yet in Western Europe little data is available on linked mining and smelting activity. In the area of Saint-Véran, Hautes-Alpes, ancient mining works testify to large-scale production, estimated at some seven tons of metallic copper per year. The associated smelting site, dated to the end of the 3rd millennium BC, shows particularly advanced technological skill. The mineralogy at Saint-Véran is an exceptionally massive and virtually single-phase deposit. As a consequence, very little beneficiation is required to achieve high-grade ore. The exploited ore is mainly bornite, Cu5FeS4, which is a
particularly copper-rich mineral, compared to the more usual chalcopyrite, CuFeS2. Recent surveys have found large amounts of native copper in the ancient mine spoil heaps so native copper was probably exploited, maybe before the Early Bronze Age. The slag morphology and composition is also discussed. Saint-Véran has thin, homogenous low-viscosity slags, similar to the Plattenschlacke recorded during the Middle to Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Alps. This combination of factors must surely have influenced the early start of copper mass production.
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References
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Anguilano L, Angelini I, Artioli G, Moroni M, Baumgarten B and Oberrauch H 2002, ‘Smelting slags from Copper and Bronze Age archaeological sites in Trentino and Alto Adige’, in C D’Amico (ed), Atti del II Congresso Nazionale di Archeometria (Bologna), 627-638.
Artioli G, Angelini I, Burger E, Bourgarit D and Colpani F 2007, ‘Petrographic and chemical investigations of the earliest copper smelting slags in Italy: towards a reconstruction of the beginning of copper metallurgy’, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference Archaeometallurgy in Europe (available on CD). Publication forthcoming Minetallurgia Italiana.
Barge H, Ancel B, Rostan P and Guendon J-L 1998, ‘La mine des Clausis à Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes) : exploitation et aire de réduction du minerai de cuivre d’époque préhistorique’, in C Mordant, M Pernot and V Rychner (eds), L’atelier du bronzier en Europe du XXème au VIIIème siècle avant notre ère, vol 2 (Paris), 71-82.
Barge H 1997, ‘L’installation métallurgique préhistorique de la Cabane des Clausis à Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes)’, Archéologie en Languedoc 21, 99-110.
Bourgarit D 2007, ‘Chalcolithic copper smelting’, in S La Niece, D Hook, and P Craddock (eds), Metals and Mines: studies in archaeometallurgy (London), 3-14.
Bourgarit D and Mille B 1997, ‘La métallurgie chalcolithique de Cabrières: confrontation des données expérimentales et archéologiques en laboratoire’, Archéologie en Languedoc 21, 51-63.
Bourgarit D and Mille B 2005, ‘Nouvelles données sur l’atelier métallurgique de la Capitelle du Broum (district minier de Cabrières, Hérault, France): la transformation de minerais de cuivre à base de sulfures se précise!’ in P Ambert and J Vacquer (ed), La première métallurgie en France et dans les pays limitrophes (Carcassonne), 97-108.
Bourgarit D, Mille B, Burens A and Carozza L 2002, ‘Smelting of chalcopyrite during chalcolithic times: some have done it in ceramic pots as vase-furnaces’, in H Kars and E Burke (eds), Proceedings of the 33rd International Symposium on Archaeometry (Amsterdam), 297-301.
Bourgarit D, Mille B, Prange M, Ambert P and Hauptmann A 2003, ‘Chalcolithic fahlore smelting at Cabrières: reconstruction of smelting processes by archaeometallurgical finds’, in Proceedings of the International Conference Archaeometallurgy in Europe, preprints vol 1 (Milan), 431-440.
Bowen N L and Shairer J F 1935, ‘The system MgO-FeO-SiO2’, American Journal of Science 5(29), 197-217.
Burger E in preparation, PhD thesis, University of Paris 6. Burger E, Bourgarit D, Wattiaux A and Fialin M in preparation, ‘Iron speaks for copper: Comparison of Mossbauer spectroscopy, micro-XANES spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe for the study of protohistoric copper slags’.
Campana N, Maggi R, Pearce M and Ottomano C 2006, ‘Quanto rame? Stima della produzione mineraria del distretto di Sestri Levante fra IV e III millennio BC’, in D Cocchi Genick (ed), Atti della XXXIX Riunione Scientifica: materie prime e scambi nella preistoria italiana. Nel cinquantenario della fondazione dell’Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria, Vol 3 (Firenze), 1339-1348.
Carozza L, Bourgarit D and Mille B 1997, ‘L’habitat et l’atelier de métallurgiste chalcolithique d’Al Claus: analyse et interprétation des témoins d’activité métallurgique’, Archéologie en Languedoc 21, 147-160.
Carozza L and Mille B 2007, ‘Chalcolithique et complexification sociale: quelle place pour le métal dans la définition du processus de mutation des sociétés de la fin du Néolithique en France?’, in J Guilaine (ed), Chalcolithique et complexification sociale, séminaires du Collège de France (Paris), 195-232.
Cierny J, Marzatico F, Perini R and Weisgerber G 2004, ‘La riduzione del rame in località Acqua Fredda al Passo del Redebus (Trentino) nell’età del Bronzo Recente e Finale’, in G Weisgerber and G Goldenberg (eds), Alpenkupfer – Rame delle Alpi (Bochum), 125-154.
Cierny J, Marzatico F, Perini R and Weisgerber G 2004b, ‘Der spätbronzezeitliche Verhüttungsplatz Acqua Fredda am Passo Redebus (Trentino)’, in G Weisgerber and G Goldenberg (eds), Alpenkupfer – Rame delle Alpi (Bochum), 155-164.
Davenport W G, King M, Schlesinger M and Biswas A K 2002, Extractive metallurgy of copper (Oxford).
Deer W A, Howie R A and Zussman J 1982, Rock-forming minerals: Vol 1A, orthosilicates, 2nd edn (Harlow).
Gattiglia A and Rossi M 1995, ‘Les céramiques de la mine préhistorique de Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes)’, Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française 92(4), 509-518.
Goldenberg G 2004, ‘Ein Verhüttungsplatz der mittleren Bronzezeit bei Jochberg (Nordtirol)’, in G Weisgerber and G Goldenberg (eds), Alpenkupfer – Rame delle Alpi (Bochum), 165-176.
Hauptmann A 2000, Zur frühen Metallurgie des Kupfers in Fenan/Jordanien (Bochum).
Herdits H 1993, ‘Zum Beginn experimentalarchäologischer Untersuchungen einer bronzezeitlichen Kupferverhüttungsanlage in Mühlbach, Salzburg’, Archaeologia Austriaca 77, 31-38.
Herdits H 2003, ‘Bronze Age smelting site in the Mitterberg mining area in Austria’, in P Craddock and J Lang (eds), Mining and metal production through the ages (London), 69-75.
Martinek K P and Sydow W 2004, ‘Frühbronzezeitliche Kupfermetallurgie im Unterinntal (Nordtirol)’, in G Weisgerber and G Goldenberg (eds), Alpenkupfer – Rame delle Alpi (Bochum), 199-211.
Merkel J F, Shimada I, Swann C P and Doonan R 1994, ‘Prehispanic copper alloy production at Batan Grande, Peru: interpretation of the analytical data for ore sample’, in D Scott and P Meyers (eds), Archaeometry of pre-Columbian sites and artefacts (Los Angeles), 199-227.
Mette B 2003, ‘Beitrag zur spätbronzezeitlichen Kupfermetallurgie im Trentino (Südalpen) im Vergleich mit anderen prähistorischen Kupferschlacken aus dem Alpenraum’, Metalla 10(1/2), 1-122.
Mille B and Bourgarit D 1998, ‘Du minerai de cuivre exploité dès le Chalcolithique: les exemples de Cabrières (Hérault) et Al Claus (Tarn et Garonne)’, in M C Frère-Sautot (ed), Paléométallurgie des cuivres (Montagnac), 27-36.
Osborn E F and Muan A 1960, Phase equilibrium diagrams of oxide systems (Columbus, OH).
Ploquin A, Happ J, Barge H and Bourhis J R 1997, ‘Scories archéologiques et reconstitution expérimentale de réduction de sulfure de cuivre (minerai de Saint-Véran, Hautes-Alpes) : prémices d’une approche pétrographique’, Archéologie en Languedoc 21, 11-120.
Rehder J E 1994, ‘Blowpipes versus bellows in ancient metallurgy’, Journal of Field Archaeology 21(3), 345-350.
Roden C 1988, ‘Blasrohrdüsen. Ein archäologischer Exkurs zur Pyrotechnologie des Chalkolithikmus und der Bronzezeit’, Der Anschnitt 40, 62-82.
Rosenqvist T 2004, Principles of extractive metallurgy (Trondheim).
Rossi M, Rostan P and Gattiglia A 1997, ‘Una miniera di rame preistorica nelle Alpi Occidentali’, Le Scienze 344, 74-80.
Rostan P, Gattiglia A and Rossi M 1994, ‘Ricerche sulle miniere e sulla metallurgia dell’eta del Bronzo nel Briançonnais (Hautes-Alpes, Francia)’, in F Zampicinini (ed), De Re Metallica, miniere e materie prime alle soglie del 3° millennio (Torino), 173-181.
Rostan P, Gattiglia A and Rossi M 1997, ‘Ricerche sulle miniere e sulla metallurgia dell’eta del Bronzo nel Briançonnais (Hautes-Alpes), Francia’, Atti della XXXVI Riunione Scientifica, Istituto Italiano de Preistoria e Protoistoria (Firenze), 499-512.
Rostan P and Malaterre J F 1994, ‘Les Clausis-Pinilière : ensemble minier, Saint-Véran’, Bilan Scientifique SRA PACA, 34-35.
Rostan P, Rossi M 2002, ‘Approche économique et industrielle du complexe minier et métallurgique de Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes) dans le contexte de l’Age du Bronze dans les Alpes du sud’, Bulletin d’Etudes Préhistoriques et Archéologiques Alpines 13, 77-96.
Rostan P and Mari G 2005, ‘L’exploitation protohistorique de cuivre natif de Roua (Daluis et Guillaumes, Alpes-Maritimes)’, in P Ambert and J Vacquer (eds), La première métallurgie en France et dans les pays limitrophes (Carcassonne), 139-149.
Rostan P, Bourgarit D, Burger E, Carozza L, Mille B and Artioli G forthcoming. ‘Production de cuivre de masse à l’Age du Bronze Ancien dans les Alpes occidentales : nouvelles données autour de Saint Véran (Hautes Alpes)’. Société Préhistorique Française.
Rothenberg B 1990, The ancient metallurgy of copper (London).
Anguilano L, Angelini I, Artioli G, Moroni M, Baumgarten B and Oberrauch H 2002, ‘Smelting slags from Copper and Bronze Age archaeological sites in Trentino and Alto Adige’, in C D’Amico (ed), Atti del II Congresso Nazionale di Archeometria (Bologna), 627-638.
Artioli G, Angelini I, Burger E, Bourgarit D and Colpani F 2007, ‘Petrographic and chemical investigations of the earliest copper smelting slags in Italy: towards a reconstruction of the beginning of copper metallurgy’, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference Archaeometallurgy in Europe (available on CD). Publication forthcoming Minetallurgia Italiana.
Barge H, Ancel B, Rostan P and Guendon J-L 1998, ‘La mine des Clausis à Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes) : exploitation et aire de réduction du minerai de cuivre d’époque préhistorique’, in C Mordant, M Pernot and V Rychner (eds), L’atelier du bronzier en Europe du XXème au VIIIème siècle avant notre ère, vol 2 (Paris), 71-82.
Barge H 1997, ‘L’installation métallurgique préhistorique de la Cabane des Clausis à Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes)’, Archéologie en Languedoc 21, 99-110.
Bourgarit D 2007, ‘Chalcolithic copper smelting’, in S La Niece, D Hook, and P Craddock (eds), Metals and Mines: studies in archaeometallurgy (London), 3-14.
Bourgarit D and Mille B 1997, ‘La métallurgie chalcolithique de Cabrières: confrontation des données expérimentales et archéologiques en laboratoire’, Archéologie en Languedoc 21, 51-63.
Bourgarit D and Mille B 2005, ‘Nouvelles données sur l’atelier métallurgique de la Capitelle du Broum (district minier de Cabrières, Hérault, France): la transformation de minerais de cuivre à base de sulfures se précise!’ in P Ambert and J Vacquer (ed), La première métallurgie en France et dans les pays limitrophes (Carcassonne), 97-108.
Bourgarit D, Mille B, Burens A and Carozza L 2002, ‘Smelting of chalcopyrite during chalcolithic times: some have done it in ceramic pots as vase-furnaces’, in H Kars and E Burke (eds), Proceedings of the 33rd International Symposium on Archaeometry (Amsterdam), 297-301.
Bourgarit D, Mille B, Prange M, Ambert P and Hauptmann A 2003, ‘Chalcolithic fahlore smelting at Cabrières: reconstruction of smelting processes by archaeometallurgical finds’, in Proceedings of the International Conference Archaeometallurgy in Europe, preprints vol 1 (Milan), 431-440.
Bowen N L and Shairer J F 1935, ‘The system MgO-FeO-SiO2’, American Journal of Science 5(29), 197-217.
Burger E in preparation, PhD thesis, University of Paris 6. Burger E, Bourgarit D, Wattiaux A and Fialin M in preparation, ‘Iron speaks for copper: Comparison of Mossbauer spectroscopy, micro-XANES spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe for the study of protohistoric copper slags’.
Campana N, Maggi R, Pearce M and Ottomano C 2006, ‘Quanto rame? Stima della produzione mineraria del distretto di Sestri Levante fra IV e III millennio BC’, in D Cocchi Genick (ed), Atti della XXXIX Riunione Scientifica: materie prime e scambi nella preistoria italiana. Nel cinquantenario della fondazione dell’Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria, Vol 3 (Firenze), 1339-1348.
Carozza L, Bourgarit D and Mille B 1997, ‘L’habitat et l’atelier de métallurgiste chalcolithique d’Al Claus: analyse et interprétation des témoins d’activité métallurgique’, Archéologie en Languedoc 21, 147-160.
Carozza L and Mille B 2007, ‘Chalcolithique et complexification sociale: quelle place pour le métal dans la définition du processus de mutation des sociétés de la fin du Néolithique en France?’, in J Guilaine (ed), Chalcolithique et complexification sociale, séminaires du Collège de France (Paris), 195-232.
Cierny J, Marzatico F, Perini R and Weisgerber G 2004, ‘La riduzione del rame in località Acqua Fredda al Passo del Redebus (Trentino) nell’età del Bronzo Recente e Finale’, in G Weisgerber and G Goldenberg (eds), Alpenkupfer – Rame delle Alpi (Bochum), 125-154.
Cierny J, Marzatico F, Perini R and Weisgerber G 2004b, ‘Der spätbronzezeitliche Verhüttungsplatz Acqua Fredda am Passo Redebus (Trentino)’, in G Weisgerber and G Goldenberg (eds), Alpenkupfer – Rame delle Alpi (Bochum), 155-164.
Davenport W G, King M, Schlesinger M and Biswas A K 2002, Extractive metallurgy of copper (Oxford).
Deer W A, Howie R A and Zussman J 1982, Rock-forming minerals: Vol 1A, orthosilicates, 2nd edn (Harlow).
Gattiglia A and Rossi M 1995, ‘Les céramiques de la mine préhistorique de Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes)’, Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française 92(4), 509-518.
Goldenberg G 2004, ‘Ein Verhüttungsplatz der mittleren Bronzezeit bei Jochberg (Nordtirol)’, in G Weisgerber and G Goldenberg (eds), Alpenkupfer – Rame delle Alpi (Bochum), 165-176.
Hauptmann A 2000, Zur frühen Metallurgie des Kupfers in Fenan/Jordanien (Bochum).
Herdits H 1993, ‘Zum Beginn experimentalarchäologischer Untersuchungen einer bronzezeitlichen Kupferverhüttungsanlage in Mühlbach, Salzburg’, Archaeologia Austriaca 77, 31-38.
Herdits H 2003, ‘Bronze Age smelting site in the Mitterberg mining area in Austria’, in P Craddock and J Lang (eds), Mining and metal production through the ages (London), 69-75.
Martinek K P and Sydow W 2004, ‘Frühbronzezeitliche Kupfermetallurgie im Unterinntal (Nordtirol)’, in G Weisgerber and G Goldenberg (eds), Alpenkupfer – Rame delle Alpi (Bochum), 199-211.
Merkel J F, Shimada I, Swann C P and Doonan R 1994, ‘Prehispanic copper alloy production at Batan Grande, Peru: interpretation of the analytical data for ore sample’, in D Scott and P Meyers (eds), Archaeometry of pre-Columbian sites and artefacts (Los Angeles), 199-227.
Mette B 2003, ‘Beitrag zur spätbronzezeitlichen Kupfermetallurgie im Trentino (Südalpen) im Vergleich mit anderen prähistorischen Kupferschlacken aus dem Alpenraum’, Metalla 10(1/2), 1-122.
Mille B and Bourgarit D 1998, ‘Du minerai de cuivre exploité dès le Chalcolithique: les exemples de Cabrières (Hérault) et Al Claus (Tarn et Garonne)’, in M C Frère-Sautot (ed), Paléométallurgie des cuivres (Montagnac), 27-36.
Osborn E F and Muan A 1960, Phase equilibrium diagrams of oxide systems (Columbus, OH).
Ploquin A, Happ J, Barge H and Bourhis J R 1997, ‘Scories archéologiques et reconstitution expérimentale de réduction de sulfure de cuivre (minerai de Saint-Véran, Hautes-Alpes) : prémices d’une approche pétrographique’, Archéologie en Languedoc 21, 11-120.
Rehder J E 1994, ‘Blowpipes versus bellows in ancient metallurgy’, Journal of Field Archaeology 21(3), 345-350.
Roden C 1988, ‘Blasrohrdüsen. Ein archäologischer Exkurs zur Pyrotechnologie des Chalkolithikmus und der Bronzezeit’, Der Anschnitt 40, 62-82.
Rosenqvist T 2004, Principles of extractive metallurgy (Trondheim).
Rossi M, Rostan P and Gattiglia A 1997, ‘Una miniera di rame preistorica nelle Alpi Occidentali’, Le Scienze 344, 74-80.
Rostan P, Gattiglia A and Rossi M 1994, ‘Ricerche sulle miniere e sulla metallurgia dell’eta del Bronzo nel Briançonnais (Hautes-Alpes, Francia)’, in F Zampicinini (ed), De Re Metallica, miniere e materie prime alle soglie del 3° millennio (Torino), 173-181.
Rostan P, Gattiglia A and Rossi M 1997, ‘Ricerche sulle miniere e sulla metallurgia dell’eta del Bronzo nel Briançonnais (Hautes-Alpes), Francia’, Atti della XXXVI Riunione Scientifica, Istituto Italiano de Preistoria e Protoistoria (Firenze), 499-512.
Rostan P and Malaterre J F 1994, ‘Les Clausis-Pinilière : ensemble minier, Saint-Véran’, Bilan Scientifique SRA PACA, 34-35.
Rostan P, Rossi M 2002, ‘Approche économique et industrielle du complexe minier et métallurgique de Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes) dans le contexte de l’Age du Bronze dans les Alpes du sud’, Bulletin d’Etudes Préhistoriques et Archéologiques Alpines 13, 77-96.
Rostan P and Mari G 2005, ‘L’exploitation protohistorique de cuivre natif de Roua (Daluis et Guillaumes, Alpes-Maritimes)’, in P Ambert and J Vacquer (eds), La première métallurgie en France et dans les pays limitrophes (Carcassonne), 139-149.
Rostan P, Bourgarit D, Burger E, Carozza L, Mille B and Artioli G forthcoming. ‘Production de cuivre de masse à l’Age du Bronze Ancien dans les Alpes occidentales : nouvelles données autour de Saint Véran (Hautes Alpes)’. Société Préhistorique Française.
Rothenberg B 1990, The ancient metallurgy of copper (London).
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The beginning of copper mass production in the western Alps: the Saint-Véran mining area reconsidered. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 42(1), 1-11. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/199
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The beginning of copper mass production in the western Alps: the Saint-Véran mining area reconsidered. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 42(1), 1-11. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/199