Lead isotopic analysis of copper alloy artifacts from Tell Tweini : changing ore sources from the early bronze age to the iron age?

Identifying the geological provenance of an artifact, i.e. the origin of the ores used to produce a metal, provides important information on ancient relationships and connections, trade, and the movement of raw materials and/or objects. The initial approach to this provenance question applied elemental chemical analysis of artifacts and their proposed ore sources, but soon proved to be ineffective due to chemical heterogeneities in ore deposits and variable fractionations of many elements between ore, slag and metal during the smelting processes. It is remarkable that the lead isotopic composition of the Cu alloy artifacts from Tell Tweini is clearly different as a whole before and after 1200 B.C., respectively. A difference in material culture pre and post this time has been observed before at the site, and has been linked to Sea People incursions in the area.Identifying the geological provenance of an artifact, i.e. the origin of the ores used to produce a metal, provides important information on ancient relationships and connections, trade, and the movement of raw materials and/or objects. The initial approach to this provenance question applied elemental chemical analysis of artifacts and their proposed ore sources, but soon proved to be ineffective due to chemical heterogeneities in ore deposits and variable fractionations of many elements between ore, slag and metal during the smelting processes. It is remarkable that the lead isotopic composition of the Cu alloy artifacts from Tell Tweini is clearly different as a whole before and after 1200 B.C., respectively. A difference in material culture pre and post this time has been observed before at the site, and has been linked to Sea People incursions in the area.B