A new approach to an old material: an examination of the metallurgical ceramic assemblage of Enkomi, Cyprus, with the use of handheld portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of an analytical study of the metallurgical ceramic assemblage recovered from the Late Bronze Age (LBA) urban settlement of Enkomi, Cyprus. The ceramic fabric and the slagged surfaces of a total of 106 tuyere and crucible samples from the workshops of Enkomi, Area III, have been analysed using a handheld pXRF spectrometer. The aim of this preliminary study is to investigate the nature of the metallurgical activities taking place in the workshops of this settlement, one of the most (if not the most) important on LBA Cyprus. The metallurgical ceramics were used in the processing of copper. Compositional data suggest that secondary metallurgical activities were taking place at Enkomi. By gaining a better understanding on these activities, it will be possible to make inferences about the role held by Enkomi in the metal production in LBA Cyprus. We aim to contribute to the long-standing debate of the organisation of copper production and trade, a key aspect of the socio-political development of the island at that time.