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INVESTIGATION ON ORE , FLUX AND CRUCIBLE SLAG FROM PREHISTORIC COPPER SMELTING

AT AM3ELIK0U , CYPRUS

by

Introduction

In an effort to find the beginning and the extension of early copper smelting in the area of the eastern Mediterranean Sea the island of Cyprus plays an important role. The beginning of copper smelting in Cyprus is not

yet dated. The earliest findings which were considered as products of cop-

. i) per smelting were excavated at Ambelikou-Aletri . On account of the pot-

2 ) tery the site was archaeologically dated to chalcolithic II . -The same

type of pottery was found at Erimi in the south of Cyprus a site which was dated by C.h-method ^ 2500 B.C. . To find out the possible smelting procedure samples or ore, flux and from a crucible found during the Ambelikou excavation were investigated by metallographic and analytical methods. In addition it was intended to reproduce the smelting methods by using the flux and ore from the excavation. A description of the orebody compared with these results should show the possibilities of this early copper production at Ambelikou during the chalcolythic II period. In addition it was intended to investigate the pick up of trace elements of these samples by molten high purity copper in contact with these samples under a layer of charcoal .

Ambelikou-Aletri Orebody

The Ambelikou cupriferous orebody is located about three kilometers southwest of Xeros, which is situated at the centre of the Morphou Bay. The ore- body is surrounded by basaltic upper pillow lavas. The ore is overlain by

chalk and reef limestone. To the west of this orebody occurs a small outil ) crop of darkbrown to black umber . Limited exploration work including