A new algorithm for using Pb isotopes to determine the provenance of bullion in ancient Greek coinage

Journal article


Albarède, Francis, Davis, Gillan, Gentelli, Liesel, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Gitler, Haim, Pinto, Marine and Telouk, Philippe. (2024). A new algorithm for using Pb isotopes to determine the provenance of bullion in ancient Greek coinage. Journal of Archaeological Science. 163, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2023.105919
AuthorsAlbarède, Francis, Davis, Gillan, Gentelli, Liesel, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Gitler, Haim, Pinto, Marine and Telouk, Philippe
Abstract

A new algorithm is proposed that uses Pb isotopes to help identify the ore deposits utilized as sources of silver in Antiquity. The algorithm takes natural and analytical
isotope fractionation into account. It proposes a statistical measure of the distances between the Pb isotope compositions of ores and artifacts. This measure is amenable to statistical tests at any confidence level. The new algorithm is applied to the Pb isotope compositions of the end-members derived from 368 new Pb isotope data on silver coinage minted between the late 6th to late 2nd centuries BCE and presented in Albarede et al. (2024). The algorithm identifies the local sources expected for the mints associated with major silver ores found in the territories of Athens, Thasos, and Thrace, while demonstrating that Thrace, Northern Macedonia, and Chalkidiki supplied notable amounts of bullion to Aegina and Ptolemaic Egypt. Minor proportions of what we are designating an old Sardinian ‘mix’ created by long-distance trade was used by archaic Athens, Corinthia (Corinth and surrounding city-states), and Aegina. Various islands in the Cyclades (Siphnos, Keos, Seriphos) also appear to be early contributors to archaic Corinthian and Macedonian silver. The present study clearly demonstrates that recycled and mixed bullion formed a substantial part of the silver stocks of mints. The new algorithm warrants more detailed Pb isotopic studies of well-dated coinage to document the changing nature of silver fluxes over time.

Keywordssilver; coinage; bullion; archaeology; Pb isotopes; provenance
Year01 Jan 2024
JournalJournal of Archaeological Science
Journal citation163, pp. 1-13
PublisherAcademic Press (Elsevier)
ISSN0305-4403
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2023.105919
Web address (URL)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440323001991?via%3Dihub
Open accessOpen access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range1-13
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online03 Jan 2024
Publication process dates
Accepted11 Dec 2023
Deposited10 Jul 2024
Additional information

© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd

This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Place of publicationUnited Kingdom
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