Ebook: The Archaeometallurgy of Copper: Evidence from Faynan, Jordan

Andreas Hauptmann is a trained mineralogist and is concurrently head of the Research Group for Archaeometallurgy at the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, Bochum and a professor of archaeometry at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. Born in 1950, his research has focused on early mining and metallurgy, and the analysis of copper, bronze, iron, gold and pottery. He has led and been involved in major expeditions to Jordan, Oman and Georgia and has participated in many excavations in Germany, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Greece, Syria and Cyprus.

The book deals with the ancient exploitation and production of copper, exemplified by the mining district of Faynan, Jordan. It is an interdisciplinary study that comprises (mining-) archaeological and scientific aspects. The development of organizational patterns and technological improvements of mining and smelting through the ages (5th millennium BC to Roman Byzantine period), in a specific mining region, is discussed.

Principles of modern archaeometallurgy in the field and laboratory are explained. An important focus is on mineralogical and chemical slag investigations and on the role of trace elements and lead isotope abundance ratios in ores and metals. Provenance studies show the distribution of Faynan copper in the Southern Levant in the Early Bronze Age.

The author has led and been involved in major expeditions to Jordan, Oman and Georgia and has participated in many excavations.