Gerry McDonnell

Archaeometallurgy

 

The major copper alloys exploited in antiquity include:

Cu

Cu-As

Cu-Sb

Cu-Sn

Cu-Pb

Cu-Zn

Cu-Sn-Pb,   Cu-Sn-Sb,  Cu-Sn-Zn, Cu-As-Sn

Cu-Sn-Sb-Pb,  Cu-Sn-Zn-Pb

The above alloys plus other minor elements, e.g. Ag, Au

 

 

Methods of Working

Casting - alloys used in the as-cast condition with minor finishing, e.g. grinding off of casting flash.

 

Hot and Cold working - the manipulation of alloys to manufacture sheet, wire etc.

SEM-BSE Micrograph showing dendritic structure of 10% as-cast Sn Bronze.

Silver like Romano-British copper alloy artefact, excavated by West Yorkshire Archaeological Services    

Coloured SEM BSE Image of the high Sn, Zn  copper alloy (red corroded interdendritic, blue cored dendrites Cu-Sn-Zn). Source Author