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Bronze alloy production during the Iron Age of Luristan: a multianalytical study on recently discovered bronze objects

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Abstract

Application of bronze alloy to produce artistic and religious artefacts was commonplace during the Iron Age in western Iran (1500–550 BC). These bronze artefacts are the so-called Luristan bronzes and have been found often from excavated graves and sanctuaries. The aim of this paper is to study on alloy composition and manufacturing process in some recently excavated objects from the Iron Age cemetery of Baba Jilan, northern Luristan. For this purpose, some objects were analysed by quantitative ICP-MS as well as microscopic studies by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and metallography methods. Also, some comparisons were carried out between Baba Jilan and other analysed bronze objects from Luristan in order to identify the metalworking process in bronze objects from the Iron Age of western Iran. The results showed that all Baba Jilan samples are made of binary copper-tin alloy. Tin content was variable in the composition of the samples. The variety of tin constituents proved that alloying has been performed by an uncontrolled process to produce bronze. The microscopic studies also showed that the manufacturing operations are similar in the Luristan bronzes. It was carried out to identify probable similarities in the bronze alloy production in the Iron Age of the Luristan region.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Dr. Mohammadreza Kargar (GOMCHTO, ICHTO), Ali Hojabri (ICHTO of Zanjan Province) and Rouhoddin Pourzarrin (ICHTO of Lorestan Province) for the permission to access the samples, Behnam Rahmani, Nazanin Nikroo (Razi Applied Science Foundation) and Atefeh Shekofteh (Art University of Isfahan) for their valuable help and comments in archaeological and experimental studies and text editing. The experimental and technical works presented in this paper have been carried out in the framework of the research project rent No. 939/10, financed by the Research Office of Art University of Isfahan, Iran in 2015–2016.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Conservation of Historic Properties, Faculty of Conservation, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

    Omid Oudbashi

  2. Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Ata Hasanpour

  3. Department of Archaeology, Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, Lorestan Province, Khorramabad, Iran

    Ata Hasanpour

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  1. Omid Oudbashi
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Correspondence to Omid Oudbashi.

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Oudbashi, O., Hasanpour, A. Bronze alloy production during the Iron Age of Luristan: a multianalytical study on recently discovered bronze objects. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 10, 1443–1458 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-017-0466-9

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