Harvard University, Archaeometry Laboratories

                and

University of Bradford, Ancient Metallurgy Research Group

        announce an International Conference.


                METALS IN ANTIQUITY

        Harvard University, 10-13 September 1997

The conference aims to promote an integrated and comprehensive
understanding of ancient metallurgy. It will explore the
distribution of metals in the natural environment, extractive
metallurgy and fabrication processes as well as the social context,
use and deposition of artefacts. The approach combines
anthropology, archaeology and the earth sciences and involves
archaeological, mineralogical, chemical and isotopic
investigations of ancient metal production, use and provenance.


Conference Outline

The conference will include sessions on:-

<> Current research on ancient mining and archaeometallurgy:
reviewing the current state of research and the potential for
future development at the interface between archaeology and the
earth sciences..

<> The characterisation of ore deposits for studies of provenance
and technology: discussing the geology of ore deposits and other
raw materials thought to have been exploited in prehistoric
metallurgy and the implications for trace element and isotopic
analytical studies of ores and artefacts.

<> Reconstructing ancient metal production processes: including
the alteration (or otherwise) of the trace element or isotopic
composition of metals during the processes of mining, beneficiation,
smelting, alloying and fabrication and the implications for the
use of such data in the reconstruction of ancient
metallurgical technology.


The second part of the conference will focus on the social context of
ancient metal production and use with sessions on:-

<> Theoretical aspects of ancient metallurgy: how metals were
obtained, used and circulated in ancient societies. It is expected
that contributions will have a broadly theoretical perspective,
building on the material record to outline testable hypotheses
regarding the social organisation of prehistoric metallurgy.

<> The ethnography of metallurgy: drawing together some of the
growing ethnographic evidence for the social context of metal
making, working, use etc.

The conference will be followed by a Workshop on Metals Analysis in
Archaeology including a discussion of analytical advances,
potentials and problems in the chemical and isotopic analysis
of geological and archaeological materials.


Conference organizers:

Suzanne M. M. Young     and     Dr. Paul Budd


Further Information can be obtained from:-

        Suzanne Young
        Archaeometry Laboratories
        Harvard University
        Peabody Museum
        11 Divinity Avenue
        Cambridge MA 02138, USA.

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