Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T21:08:11.326Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mid fourth-millennium copper mining in Liguria, north-west Italy: the earliest known copper mines in Western Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2015

Roberto Maggi  and
Mark Pearce
Roberto Maggi
Affiliation:
Direzione Regionale per i beni culturali e paesaggistici della Liguria, Via Balbi 10, 16126 Genova, Italy (Email: rmaggi@beniculturali.it)
Mark Pearce
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK (Email: mark.pearce@nottingham.ac.uk)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper presents twelve new radiocarbon dates from copper mines at Monte Loreto in Liguria, northwest Italy, which indicate that extraction began around 3500 cal BC, making these the earliest copper mines to be discovered in Western Europe so far. The dates are placed in their regional context, with a discussion of results from Libiola and other sites associated with early copper mining.

Keywords

Copper AgeItalyLiguriaearly miningcopper metallurgy
Type
Research Article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 79 , Issue 303 , March 2005 , pp. 66 - 77
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barfield, L.H. 1994. The Iceman reviewed. Antiquity 68 (258): 10–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartelheim, M., Eckstein, K. Huijsmans, M. Krauß, R. & Pernicka, E. 2002. Kupferzeitliche Metallgewinnung in Brixlegg, Österreich, in Bartelheim, M. Pernicka, E. & Krauß, R. (ed.). Die Anfänge der Metallurgie in der Alten Welt: 33–82. Rahden: Leidorf (Forschungen zur Archäometrie und Altertumswissenschaft 1).Google Scholar
Bartelheim, M., Eckstein, K. Huijsmans, M. Krauß, R. & Pernicka, E 2003. Chalcolithic metal extraction in Brixlegg, Austria. International conference, archaeometallurgy in Europe – Milan, Italy 24–25-26 September 2003 Proceedings, vol. 1: 441–447. Milan: Associazione Italiana di Metallurgia.Google Scholar
Benente, F. 1999. GE: Monte Loreto, Archeologia Medievale 26: 219.Google Scholar
Brown, F.A.Y. 1876. Nozioni storico-statistiche sulla miniera ramifera di Libiola situata nel territorio di S. Vittoria comune di Sestri Levante. Genoa: Tipografia Schenone.Google Scholar
Campana, N. & Franceschi, E. 1997. Analyses of the metal objects, in Maggi, R (ed.). Arene Candide: a functional and environmental assessment of the Holocene sequence (Excavations Bernabó Brea-Cardini 1940–50): 611–21. Rome: Memorie dell’Istituto Italiano di Paleontologia Umana (nuova serie 5).Google Scholar
Campana, N., Franceschi, E. Maggi, R. & Stos, Z GALE. 1996a. Grotticella sepolcrale di Val Frascarese (Genova): nuove analisi dei reperti metallici, in Cocchi Genick, D. (ed.). L’antica etá del bronzo: Atti del Congresso di Viareggio, 9–12 Gennaio 1995: 556–7. Florence: Octavo.Google Scholar
Campana, N. & Maggi, R (ed.). 2002. Archeologia in Valle Lagorara. Diecimila anni di storia intorno a una cava di diaspro. Florence: Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria. Origines.Google Scholar
Campana, N., Maggi, R. Stos Gale, Z. & Houghton, J. 1996b. Miniere e metallurgia in Liguria fra IV millennio e IV secolo, B.C., in Piola Caselli, F. & Piana Agostinetti, P. (ed.). La Miniera l’uomo e l’ambiente: fonti e metodi a confronto per la storia delle attivitá minerarie e metallurgiche in Italia, Convegno di Studi – Cassino, 2–4 giugno 1994: 15–52. Florence: All’Insegna del Giglio.Google Scholar
Cernych, E.N. 1978. Aibunar – a Balkan copper mine of the fourth millennium BC. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 44: 203–17.Google Scholar
De Pascale, A. 2004. “Hammerstones from early copper mines”: sintesi dei ritrovamenti nell’Europa e nel Mediterraneo orientale e prime considerazioni sui mazzuoli di Monte Loreto (IV millennio BC – Liguria), Rivista di Studi Liguri 69 (2003): 5–42.Google Scholar
Huijsmans, M. & Krauß, R.. 1998. KG Brixlegg, MG Brixlegg, VB Küfstein. Fundberichte aus österreich 37: 713–14.Google Scholar
Issel, A. 1879. Sulle tracce di antichissima lavorazione osservate in alcune miniere della Liguria, Rassegna settimanale 3 (70): 348–9.Google Scholar
Issel, A. 1892. Liguria geologica e preistorica, vol. 2. Genoa: Donath (reprinted Bologna: Forni 1993).Google Scholar
Jovanovic, B. 1979. The technology of primary copper mining in South-East Europe. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 45: 103–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jovanovic, B. & Ottaway, B.S.. 1976. Copper mining and metallurgy in the Vinca group. Antiquity 50 (198): 104–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larocca, F. 2001. Una miniera di etá preistorica in Calabria. La grotta della Monaca di Sant’Agata d’Ésaro (Cosenza), L’Universo 81 (1): 59–73.Google Scholar
Lippert, A. 1992. Der Götschenberg bei Bischofshofen. Eine ur- und frühgeschichtliche Höhensiedlung in Salzachpongau. Vienna: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mitteilungen der Prähistorischen Kommission der ö sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 27.Google Scholar
Maggi, R. 1998. Storia della Liguria fra 3600 e 2300 anni avanti Cristo (l’Etá del Rame), in Del Lucchese, A. & Maggi, R (ed.). Dal diaspro al bronzo. L’Etá del Rame e del Bronzo in Liguria: 26 secoli di storia fra 3600 e 1000 anni avanti Cristo: 7–28. La Spezia: Luna Editore. Quaderni della Soprintendenza Archeologica della Liguria 5.Google Scholar
Maggi, R., Campana, N & Negrino, F. 1995. Valle Lagorara: a quarry of radiolarite (jasper) exploited during the Copper and Early Bronze Age, Archeologia Polona 33: 187–208.Google Scholar
Maggi, R., Campana, N. Negrino, F. & Ottomano, C. 1996. The quarrying and workshop site of Valle Lagorara (Liguria – Italy). Accordia Research Papers 5 (1994): 73–96.Google Scholar
Maggi, R. & Del Lucchese, A.. 1989. Aspects of the Copper Age in Liguria. Rassegna di Archeologia 7 (1988): 331–8.Google Scholar
Maggi, R. & Formicola, V. 1978. Una grotticella sepolcrale dell’inizio dell’etá del bronzo in Val Frascarese (Genova). Preistoria Alpina 14: 87–113.Google Scholar
Maggi, R. & Vignolo, M.R.. 1984. Val Frascarese, Tana delle Fate, in Melli, P (ed.). Archeologia in Liguria II, Scavi e scoperte 1976–81: 81–3. Genoa: Soprintendenza Archeologica della Liguria.Google Scholar
Mccullagh, M. & Pearce, M. 2004. Surveying the prehistoric copper mine at Libiola (Sestri Levante – GE), Italy, in Balzaretti, R. Pearce, M. & Watkins, C (ed.). Ligurian landscapes: studies in archaeology, geography and history: 83–95. London: Accordia Research Centre.Google Scholar
Pedrotti, A. 2001. Il Neolitico, in Lanzinger, M. Marzatico, F. & Pedrotti, A (ed.). Storia del Trentino, I, La preistoria e la protostoria: 119–81. Bologna: Il Mulino.Google Scholar
Renfrew, C. 1969. The autonomy of the south-east European Copper Age. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 35: 12–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renfrew, C. 1970. Tree-ring calibration of radiocarbon. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 36: 280–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rothenberg, B. & Blanco Freijero, A.. 1980. Ancient copper mining and smelting at Chinflon (Huelva, S.W. Spain), in Craddock, P.T. (ed.). Scientific studies in early mining and extractive metallurgy: 41–62. London: British Museum. Occasional Paper 20.Google Scholar
Ruiz-Taboada, A. & Montero-Ruiz, I.. 1999. The oldest metallurgy in western Europe. (282): 897–903.Google Scholar
Skeates, R. 1994. Early metal-use in the central Mediterranean region. Accordia Research Papers 4 (1993): 5–48.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., Reimer, P.J. Bard, E. Beck, J.W. Burr, G.S. Hughen, K.A. Kromer, B. Mccormac, G. Van Der Plicht, J. & Spurk, M. 1998. INTCAL98 radiocarbon age calibration, 24,000–0 cal BP. Radiocarbon 40 (3): 1041–83. (Stuiver, M. & Van Der Plicht, J. (eds.), INTCAL98: calibration issue.)Google Scholar
Talma, A.S. & Vogel, J.C. 1993. A simplified approach to calibrating C14 dates, Radiocarbon 35 (2): 317–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vogel, J.C., Fuls, E. Visser, E. & Becker, B. 1993. Pretoria calibration curve for short-lived samples, 1930–3350 BC. Radiocarbon 35 (1): 73–85.Google Scholar