CTV:Ancient Technology 

  

Archaeological Goals 

 • Identifying technological patterns in the various chronological periods of Timna’s smelting activity.

 • Interpreting smelting technologies in their respective chronological timeframes as well as in a study of the longue-durée 

• Understanding the technological development of copper smelting throughout Timna’s active productions phases 

 Slag samples from Site 34 - "Slaves' Hill"

 

 

 

Archaeological Question 

• Can the glassy phase inside the copper slag present a proxy for varying ancient smelting technologies? 

• Quantity of glass inside the slag 

• Quality of glass inside the slag 

• Location of glass inside the slag

 

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Research Methods 

• Identifying in-situ crystallographic and amorphous phases inside the slag 

 Main analytical method: SEM-EDS, image segmentation  Sample state: Solid Cross-Section 

• Mapping, Structure, Spatial Crystallographic and Elemental composition 

• Quantifying crystallographic and amorphous phases in the slag  Main analytical method: XRD, TGA (Thermo-Gravimetric-Analysis), Total-Content (Microwave Acid Digestion with ICP-OES)  Sample State: Powder 

• Quantitative Crystallographic and Elemental composition

 

Research Background 

• Timna’s five main smelting activity periods: 

o Early Bronze Age 3500-2200 BCE 

o Late Bronze Age 1400-1100 BCE 

o Early Iron Age 1100-950 BCE 

o Iron Age II 950-800 BCE 

o Early Islamic 650-1000 CE  

 

Research Material Collecting three copper slags from five different sites, corresponding to five different technological periods: 

Total: 15 slag pieces 

Early Bronze Age: Site: Yotvata 44 (Y-44) (ca. 2500 BCE) 

Late Bronze Age: Site: 3 (ca. 1150 BCE) Early Iron Age Site: 34(T) (ca. 1000 BCE) 

Iron Age II Site: 30 (ca. 900 BCE) 

Early Islamic Period Site 34(B) (ca. 700-900 CE)  

 

 Prof. David Kosson and Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef collecting samples in Timna. November 2022

 

 

Sample Selection: 

• Located three (large enough) intact slags from each site: Total: 15 Slag pieces 

• Each intact slag was separated into two samples for two purposes: 1. Solid Cross-Sectioning: Epoxy mounting and polishing (for SEM) 2. Powder: Plate crushing and ball-milling (for XRD) 

• Samples: Two from each slag 15 for sectioning 15 for powder Total: 30  

1. Solid Cross-Sectioning: Procedure 

• Dry-sawing or chiseling the slag (shared with powder procedure)  

 • Extracting a small piece ca. 4x4 cm with an appropriate internal section

 • Epoxy mounting and 18 hours hardening period

 • Wet-sawing both ends for surface flatness

 • Polishing procedure

 • Polished Samples- Ready for SEM-EDS

 2. Powder: Procedure 

• Dry-sawing or chiseling the slag (shared with sectioning procedure)

 • Extracting either several pieces or a small enough piece for the plate crusher

 • Plate-crushing to rough grains

 • Ball-milling to fine powder

 Further research 

Cross-Sectioning 

• Initiate SEM-EDS process and assess the slag mineral morphology Powder 

• Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) + Total Content analysis 

• XRD for crystallographic analysis

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