Investigation on Manufacturing Process in Some Elamite Copper Alloy Artefacts from Haft Tappeh, South-west Iran
The archaeometallurgy of copper have been pioneer technologies in ancient Iran and goes back to about ten thousand years ago in Iranian Plateau [1, 2]. The Haft Tappeh Middle Elamite Site is located in Southwest Iran and have been an important city belonging to early phase of Middle Elamite period (14th century BCE) [3, 4]. Based on various metallurgical evidences found in archaeological excavations, such as metalworking workshop, slag, smelted copper as well as numerous copper alloy artefacts, extensive metallurgical activities have done in Haft Tappeh and it has been an important center in smelting and manufacturing copper alloys in second millennium BC [4, 5]. To identify metallurgical process of metallic artefacts in Haft Tappeh including alloying composition, inclusions and phases as well as manufacturing and shaping, seven metallic fragments have studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and optical microscopy.
Iron Age tin bronze metallurgy at Marlik, Northern Iran: an analytical investigation
The archaeological excavations performed in 1961 and 1962 at the necropolis of Marlik (Gilan District, northern Iran) revealed important archaeological remains dating to Iron Age I and II periods (late second/early first millennium BCE). While the metal collection from Marlik includes various gold, silver and bronze objects and is considered one of the most significant finds of metal objects from the prehistoric Iran, the technological investigations discussed in this paper provide information on tin bronze objects only from Marlik. Both the composition and the microstructure of 25 copper alloy objects have been determined in order to achieve a better understanding of the metallurgical processes used in northern Iran from the second to the first millennium BCE. Experimental analyses were carried out using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and optical microscopy. The results demonstrated that the copper-base objects were made of the binary copper–tin alloy with variable tin contents. Other elements such as As, Ni, Pb, Zn and Sb were detected in minor/trace amounts. Variable tin content may be due to the application of an uncontrolled procedure to produce bronze alloy (e.g. co-smelting or cementation). Microscopic observations and microanalyses revealed the presence of numerous copper sulphide inclusions, lead globules and intermetallic phases scattered in the bronze solid solution. The microstructures seen in the bronze objects under study were varied and included worked/annealed or dendritic grain structures.
The development of copper alloy metallurgy in Thailand in the pre-Buddhist period, with special reference to high-tin bronzes
This thesis contains the results of a project designed 
to investigate the development of copper alloy metallurgy 
in Thailand from the earliest times down to the beginning 
of the historical period. Excavated material was obtained 
from a number of archaeological sites in Thailand, in particular 
Non Nok Ta, Ban Don Ta Phet and Ban Na Di. Most of 
this material is well provenanced and can be dated with 
reasonable accuracy. 
Chemical analysis of 276 artifacts was carried out using 
Atomic Absorption or Induction Coupled Plasma spectroscopy, 
with phase analysis being carried out using the electron 
microprobe. In addition, a large proportion of the objects 
(127) was sectioned and examined using the techniques of 
optical metallography. From the information that was obtained, 
it has been possible to build up a picture of the technology 
of different classes of artifacts, the particular alloy used 
for each, and regional and chronological variations. 
In addition, a considerable amount has been learned of 
the class of alloy known as β-tin bronzes, which appear to 
have been used first in Thailand and to a limited extent in 
other Asian countries up to the medieval period. Information 
of fundamental interest regarding these alloys was obtained.