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Pre-roman copper industry had no polluting impact on the global environment
Omri Yagel1, Aaron Greener2, Willie Ondricek2
1Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. omriyagel@gmail.com.
Scientific Reports
|November 29, 2024
Summary
Pre-Roman copper production in Timna Valley caused localized, not widespread, soil pollution. Heavy metals were concentrated near smelting sites, posing minimal risk to ancient societies.
Area of Science:
- Archaeometallurgy
- Environmental Archaeology
- Geoarchaeology
Background:
- Unresolved questions persist regarding the environmental impact of pre-Roman metallurgical industries.
- Previous research on heavy metal pollution from ancient smelting yielded conflicting interpretations, ranging from catastrophic to localized effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the extent and severity of pollution from pre-Roman copper production in Timna Valley.
- To assess the impact of metallurgical activities on ancient societies in the region.
Main Methods:
- High-resolution portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) geochemical surveys of two smelting camps.
- Test excavations to complement geochemical data.
- Analysis of elemental concentrations in soil to map activity areas.
Main Results:
- Soil elemental concentration mapping effectively identified archaeological activity areas.
- Metallurgical production organization and scale in Timna varied significantly between the Early Bronze Age and Iron Age.
- Heavy metal enrichment (Cu/Pb) in soil was spatially discrete, confined to direct smelting areas.
- Heavy metal enrichment correlated with metallurgical waste, indicating minimal atmospheric lead emission and low bioavailability.
Conclusions:
- Pre-Roman copper smelting in Timna Valley resulted in spatially limited soil pollution.
- The environmental impact of these activities was likely minimal and restricted to immediate work areas.
- Findings support a minimalist interpretation of pollution effects from pre-Roman copper production industries.
Keywords:
Ancient technologiesArchaeological prospectionArchaeometallurgyLead poisoningMetalliferous pollutionMontanarchäologie (mining archaeology)Timna ValleyMore Related Videos
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