Characterisation of Alloy Composition of Protohistoric Small Boat Models from Sardinia (Italy).

Claudio Bulla,Roberta Iannaccone,Antonio Brunetti,Anna Depalmas,Sergio Augusto Barcellos Lins

doi:10.3390/ma15041324

Abstract

The Sardinian protohistoric civilisation (Final Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age) has greatly contributed to the development of metallurgy in the Mediterranean area by producing a large number of bronze artefacts. Among them, small boat models (so-called “navicelle”) represent one of the most characteristic objects from the Sardinian Protohistoric civilisation. This work is an attempt to classify these boats on the basis of their alloy composition, provenience, and morphology. Due to the impossibility of removing the boats from the museum, alloys were characterised using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and Monte Carlo simulations. Fifteen boats were analyzed. Obtained results were compared to other performed analyses in the last few decades with different techniques and reported in the literature. Analyses allow for characterising both the bulk composition of ternary alloy Cu–Sn–Pb and patina thickness, offering useful information about their conservation status and the technological achievements of Sardinian craftsmen, while also providing information on smelting temperatures and casting techniques.

Highlights

The extraordinary development of metallurgy in Sardinia from the 14th century to the10th century BCE was partially due to the presence of mineral deposits on the island, such as copper, silver, lead, and iron
During the Final Bronze Age, there was a significant increase in extraneous goods to local production that appear to have been widely spread throughout the island as a result of the intensification of traffic passing through Sardinia and the evident direct involvement of the island [4]
All analysed spots on the entire group of 15 boats showed a ternary alloy composed of copper, tin, and lead as major components, with the presence of minor elements such as iron, arsenic, antimony, and zinc (

Summary

Introduction

10th century BCE was partially due to the presence of mineral deposits on the island, such as copper, silver, lead, and iron. In the Late Prehistoric period, the first contacts between Sardinia and other areas of the Mediterranean date back to the Middle and Late Bronze Age, as attested by the numerous examples of Mycenaean and Aegean artefacts found in settlements on the island, and to a lesser extent, by Sardinian exports to Crete and Cyprus. The evolution of metallurgy, referred to in much of the literature as ’Nuragic’, it relates to a period after the construction of the nuraghi, which reached its maturity, complexity, and originality in the Early Iron Age, would seem to be distinctly marked by a process featuring a good capacity for imitation and the processing of allogenous products [5]

Methods

Results

Conclusion