Moritz Jansen, Andreas Hauptmann, Sabine Klein

Where Does the Gold from the Cemetery of Ur Come From? – Provenancing Gold Sources Using Analytical Methods

Introduction

Where does the gold from the cemetery of ur come from? – provenancing gold sources using analytical methods. Discover the origin of gold artifacts from the Royal Tombs of Ur using analytical methods. Analysis reveals a natural gold-silver alloy, likely from the Tethyan Euarasian Metallogenetic Belt.

Abstract

The focus of our analysis is on the richly decorated Early Dynastic Royal Tombs. These graves are mixed in date and grouped here as  Akkadian to Ur III period. Twelve additional objects are without stratified contextual information and are discussed separately. The main components of the gold artifacts are gold, silver and copper. Between 15 and 45 percent of silver and between 1 and 6 percent of copper was typical for the samples. The jewelry of the Early Dynastic period has the same composition as the later Akkadian and Third Dynasty. Based on analysis of their main components, they could come from the same sources. During the analyses it could be clarified whether the gold composition is natural or is an intentional alloy. The golden jewelry from Ur is a natural alloy of gold and silver  originating from placer gold. Further the provenance of the gold can thus be stated: the source of the gold from Ur is likely located within the Tethyan Euarasian Metallogenetic Belt.

Review

This manuscript addresses a compelling and historically significant question: the ultimate origin of the substantial gold artifacts recovered from the Royal Cemetery of Ur. The title immediately captures interest, highlighting a crucial aspect of archaeological and economic inquiry for early Mesopotamian civilizations. The abstract clearly outlines a study utilizing analytical methods to determine the elemental composition of gold, silver, and copper within these treasures. The key conclusions – that the gold is a natural placer alloy and likely originates from the vast Tethyan Euarasian Metallogenetic Belt – represent a substantial contribution to our understanding of ancient resource acquisition, trade networks, and the geological knowledge possessed by these early societies, spanning from the Early Dynastic to the Ur III periods. The methodology, as briefly presented, appears to be a robust approach, focusing on the critical step of distinguishing between natural gold compositions and potentially intentional alloying through the precise analysis of gold, silver, and copper percentages. The observation of a consistent compositional range (15-45% silver, 1-6% copper) across artifacts from different archaeological periods (Early Dynastic, Akkadian, Ur III) is a particularly significant finding, strongly suggesting a shared or continuously utilized gold source over a considerable span of time. The explicit clarification that the gold is a natural gold-silver alloy, characteristic of placer deposits, effectively narrows down the type of geological sources that need to be considered for provenance, thereby enhancing the precision of the study's conclusions. The careful distinction and separate discussion of unstratified objects further underscore a methodical and rigorous approach to the available archaeological data. While the abstract provides a strong summary of the study's compelling findings, a full review would benefit from more specific details on certain aspects of the analytical process. For instance, clearly stating the *specific* analytical techniques employed (e.g., XRF, LA-ICP-MS, SEM-EDS) would enhance the transparency and replicability of the research. Further elaboration on the precise criteria or analytical workflow used to definitively differentiate between a "natural alloy" and an "intentional alloy" from the raw compositional data would also strengthen this critical distinction. Lastly, while identifying the Tethyan Euarasian Metallogenetic Belt is a significant achievement, future work or a more detailed paper could expand on the specific comparative evidence or analytical markers that point to this broad region, potentially offering avenues for narrowing down the geographical possibilities within it. Despite these points for further detail, this study presents a robust framework for provenancing ancient gold and makes a highly valuable contribution to both archaeological science and ancient history.

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