Παραγωγή μολύβδου από λιθάργυρους στην ελληνιστική Ρόδο
Part of : Αρχαιολογικά ανάλεκτα εξ Αθηνών ; Vol.XVII, No.1-2, 1984, pages 124-140
Issue:
Pages:
124-140
Parallel Title:
Production of lead from litharge in hellenistic Rhodes
Section Title:
Σύμμεικτα
Author:
Abstract:
Recent exploration in the SE section of the ancient city of Rhodes, in the area enclosed by the ancient streets Ρ23α-32α-23β and 32γ, revealed a large building complex in the form of the typical “Rhodian House”. On the floor of one of the rooms at the north side of the courtyard were found remains of a simple hearth, i.e. a shallow pit, tubeshaped pieces of litharge and a shapeless mass of lead, as well as several lead objects (a piece of lead leaf, a vase handle, loom- weights, weights etc.). All these testify not only to the existence of a workshop for the production of lead objects, but also to the fact that the raw material, i.e. lead, was produced on the spot by melting litharge (PbO). On the evidence of the pottery finds, the workshop is dated to the late Hellenistic times, while its size indicates that it had the character of a home industry.Since no traces of mines of argentiferous lead have been found so far on this island, the Rhodian litharge —and any other that has come to light in various Greek places situated at a great distance from suchmines— suggests that, in general, silver mines were also selling litharge, from which lead was obtained by the purchasers themselves through a simple melting process. The Rhodian tubular pieces of litharge also prove that cupellation of argentiferous lead with the use of iron spits was already practised in the late Hellenistic period. As we know, this method of producing silver had been known mainly from the silver mines of ancient Laurion, but the date when it began to be applied is uncertain. It is hoped that a future isotopic examination of the above lead finds, as well as of all the other ancient Rhodian objects of silver and lead, will provide useful information on the provenance of the raw material employed by major branches of the famous Rhodian metalwork, notably, silverwork and leadwork. This information may shed new light on the almost permanent prosperity of the Rhodian economy and on the various aspects of Rhodian diplomacy.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Keywords:
μεταλλοτεχνία, ελληνιστική εποχή, Ρόδος
Notes:
Περιέχει εικόνες
