Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2021 - 14

DIGS DISCOVERIES
THE COPPER STANDARD
F
RU PLOOHQQLD KXQWHUĥJDWKHUHUV OLYĥ
LQJ DURXQG /DNH 6XSHULRU FUHDWHG
utilitarian objects such as projectile
points, knife blades, and awls out of copper.
7RGD\ WKHVH $UFKDLF SHULRG VRFLHWLHV DUH
FROOHFWLYHO\ UHIHUUHG WR DV WKH 2OG &RSSHU
&RPSOH[ Ī2&&ī )RU UHDVRQV QRW HQWLUHO\
FOHDU WKH 2&& HPHUJHG HDUO\ LQ WKH $UFKDLF
SHULRG Ī9000Ħ1000 B.C.ī DQG GLVDSSHDUHG
sometime between 5,000 and 3,500 years
ago. A range of dates has been suggested for
ZKHQ WKH 2&& EHJDQ 7R EHWWHU SLQ GRZQ
ZKHQ WKH 2&& HPHUJHG D WHDP OHG E\
JHRORJLVW 'DYLG 3RPSHDQL RI .DQVDV 6WDWH
8QLYHUVLW\ HYDOXDWHG 53 radiocarbon dates
associated with copper artifacts and ancient
FRSSHU PLQHV 7KH\ IRXQG WKDW GDWHV IURP
wood and rope embedded in objects such
as projectile points were most likely to
UHÀHFW WKH WLPH GXULQJ ZKLFK WKH REMHFWV
were used, because these materials were
SUHVHUYHG LQ WKHLU RULJLQDO FRQWH[W ³7KH
oldest reliable age from embedded mateĥ
rial in a copper artifact is about 8,500 years
ROG´ VD\V 3RPSHDQL ³0DQ\ RWKHU VDPSOHV
of embedded material have ages between
8,000 and 5,000 \HDUV DJR´
As to why one of the world's oldest
metalworking traditions was abandoned,
DUFKDHRORJLVW 0LFKHOOH %HEEHU RI .HQW 6WDWH
8QLYHUVLW\ EHOLHYHV WKDW FRSSHU EODGHV DQG
SURMHFWLOH SRLQWV GLG QRW RɱHU HQRXJK RI DQ
advantage over stone versions to warrant the
JUHDWHU HɱRUW LQYROYHG LQ PDNLQJ WKHP SDUĥ
ticularly as populations grew and resources
GLPLQLVKHG 3HRSOH QHHGHG PRUH WLPH WR
KXQW DQG GHIHQG WKHLU WHUULWRU\ %HEEHU VXJĥ
gests, and may have repurposed copper for
use in trade or as gifts.
For more on the Archaic copper trade, see
³5HGLVFRYHULQJ $UFKDLF $PHULFD´ RQ SDJH 48.
ħ0$5/(< %52:1
RED CARPET TREATMENT
A
PHPEHU RI WKH 3D]\U\N FXOWXUH D QRPDGLF 6F\WKLDQ
people who once roamed the mountainous terrain
ZKHUH SUHVHQWĥGD\ 5XVVLD .D]DNKVWDQ DQG 0RQJROLD
meet, was buried nearly 2,500 years ago with a textile featuring
D ULFK WDEOHDX RI ORWXV EXGV GHHU DQG FURVVĥVKDSHG ¿JXUHV 7KH
textile, which measures roughly six feet on a side and was woven
with more than 1,250,000 knots, is the world's oldest known
SLOH FDUSHW 6LQFH LW ZDV GLVFRYHUHG SUHVHUYHG XQGHU D OD\HU RI
permafrost in 1947, researchers have marveled at the carpet's
enduring hues of yellow, blue, and red.
$ WHDP RI VFLHQWLVWV OHG E\ $QGUHDV 6SlWK DQG 5DLQHU )LQN
Pazyryk Carpet
14
IURP *HUPDQ\¶V )ULHGULFKĥ$OH[DQGHU 8QLYHUVLW\ (UODQJHQĥ
1XUHPEHUJ UHFHQWO\ DWWHPSWHG WR ¿JXUH RXW KRZ 3D]\U\N
artisans or their trading partners produced such intense colĥ
RUV 7KH\ H[SHULPHQWHG ZLWK D PHWKRG RI IHUPHQWLQJ ZRRO
EHIRUH G\HLQJ LW ³7KH PLFURRUJDQLVPV WKDW JURZ GXULQJ IHUĥ
mentation eat up fat layers between the cuticle scales in wool
¿EHUV´ VD\V 6SlWK +H H[SODLQV WKDW WKHVH IDW OD\HUV EORFN WKH
GLɱXVLRQ RI PRVW QDWXUDO SLJPHQWV LQWR WKH ¿EHUV :KHQ WKH
IDW OD\HUV DUH JRQH WKDW GLɱXVLRQ LV VWURQJO\ HQKDQFHG 7KH
WHDP ZDV DEOH WR REVHUYH WKLV HɱHFW XVLQJ D KLJKĥUHVROXWLRQ
;ĥUD\ PLFURVFRSH RQ ERWK WKH ZRRO ¿EHUV WKH\ G\HG LQ WKHLU
H[SHULPHQW DQG WKRVH IURP D WLQ\ VDPSOH RI WKH 3D]\U\N FDUĥ
pet, suggesting that the fermentation technique was used to
create the carpet's dazzling colors.
ħ0$5/(< %52:1
ARCHAEOLOGY * July/August 2021
Copper artifacts
Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - July/August 2021
