Os primeiros bronzes do território Português: uma primeira abordagem arqueometalúrgica a um conjunto de machados tipo Bujões / Barcelos

Abstract

The first bronze productions did probably occur during 1800-1600 BC. Metallurgical specificities of this transition period have been scarcely studied, namely for the Portuguese territory.

In the present study, plain axes of Bujões and Barcelos types, from central and northern Portugal, attributed to 1^st Bronze Age, have been analysed by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and micro-EDXRF to determine their elemental composition. Results show that the axes are made of a copper–tin alloy, occasionally with lead, arsenic and antimony impurities. The tin content is in most of the cases between 8 and 11%, showing similarities with the Sn contents adopted in bronze objects of later chronologies, as during Late Bronze Age.