Experimental Archaeology: Replication of Iberian Late Bronze Age Stelae
Press Release on the Oldest Steel in Europe and its use on the Stelae by the University of Freiburg
A study by an international and interdisciplinary team headed by Freiburg archaeologist Dr. Ralph Araque Gonzalez from the Faculty of Humanities has proven that steel tools were already in use in Europe around 2900 years ago. Using geochemical analyses, the researchers were able to prove that stone stelae on the Iberian peninsula that date back to the Final Bronze Age feature complex engravings that could only have been done using tempered steel. This was backed up by metallographic analyses of an iron chisel from the same period and region (Rocha do Vigio, Portugal, ca. 900 BCE) that showed the necessary carbon content to be proper steel.
The Project / O Projecto / El Proyecto / Das Projekt
Das Experiment, welches auf dieser Seite dokumentiert wird, findet im Rahmen des DFG-Projektes "The Iberian stelae of the Final Bronze Age: iconography, technology and the transfer of knowledge between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean / Die Iberischen Stelen der Spätbronzezeit: Bildkunst, Technologie und Wissenstransfer zwischen Atlantik und Mittelmeer" statt. Das Projekt stellt sich vor und es wird kurz erklärt, warum die Stelen von besonderem Interesse für die Erforschung prähistorischer Netzwerke und des interkulturellen Austausches sind, welche auf Wissenstransfer und Kooperation beruhten.
Videos
Videos and TV Reports from our project // Videos e reportagens em relação al projecto // videos y reportajes de nuestro proyecto // Videos und Fernsehreportagen zu unserem Projekt
The Experiment / A Experiência / El Experimento / Das Experiment
For this Archaeological Experiment, replications of Late Bronze Age Iberian stelae are made from hard rocks with the tools and techniques that were available to prehistoric craftspeople // Este projeto de arqueologia experimental consiste na criação de réplicas de estelas do Bronze Final da Península Ibérica a partir de rochas duras com recurso a ferramentas e técnicas disponíveis a artesãos pré-históricos // Por el experimento arqueológico, réplicas de estelas del Bronce Final estan fabricados con herramientos y técnicas prehistóricas.
Rocks / As Pedras / Las Piedras / Die Gesteine
Petrological data and geological facts on the rocks that have been used for making the Late Bronze Age Iberian stelae. // Dados petrológicos e factos geológicos sobre as pedras que têm sido utilizadas no fabrico das estelas da Península Ibérica no Bronze Final. // Petrologische und geologische Daten zu den Gesteinen, die für die Iberischen Stelen der Spätbronzezeit verwendet wurden.
Archaeometallurgy / Arqueometalurgia / Archäometallurgie
We analysed bronze and iron artefacts in realtion with the stelae with the methods of metallography, portable XRF and lead isotope analysis // Hemos analizado artefactos de bronze e de hierro relacionados con las estelas con metodos de metalografía, portable XRF, y isotopos del plomo // Wir analysierten mit den Stelen in Verbindung stehende Bronze- und Eisenartefakte in Portugal mit den Methoden der Metallographie, portablen Röntgenfluoreszenzanlayse und Bleiisotopenanlysen
Tools / As Ferramentas / Los Herramientos / Werkzeuge
We are using replications of prehistoric tools that could have been used for stone working, such as chisels, hammers and adzes. // Utilizamos réplicas de achados originais de ferramentas pré-históricas que poderão ter sido usadas no trabalho de rochas, tais como os cinzéis, martelos e enxós. // Utilizamos réplicas de herramientas originales prehistóricas que posiblemente se usaron para tallar las piedras, tales como cinceles, martillos y azuelas. // Wir benutzen Originalfundstücken nachempfundene Repliken von prähistorischen Werkzeugen zur Steinbearbeitung wie Meißeln, Hämmern und Dechseln.
Team
Teilnehmer des Experimentes und Kontakte.
