Lead isotopes in silver reveal earliest Phoenician quest for metals in the west Mediterranean

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Tzilla EshelAyelet Gilboa

Abstract

When and why did the Phoenicians initiate long-term connections between the Levant and western Europe? This is one of the most hotly debated questions in ancient Mediterranean history and cultural research. In this study, we use silver to answer this question, presenting the largest dataset of chemical and isotopic analyses of silver items from silver hoards found in Phoenician homeland sites. Intertwining lead isotope analysis of silver items with precise archaeological context and chronology, we provide analytical evidence for the onset of Phoenician westward expansion. We suggest that the quest for silver instigated a long, exploratory phase, first in Anatolia (Asia Minor) and Sardinia, and subsequently in the Iberian Peninsula. This phase preceded the establishment of sustainable, flourishing Phoenician colonies in the West by over a century. In so doing, our results buttress the "precolonization" theory, accord it a firm chronological framework, and demonstrate that the quest for silver (and probably other metals) was an incentive for Phoenician westward expansion. Furthermore, our results show that the Phoenicians introduced innovative silver production methods to historic Europe.

References

May 25, 2006·Environmental Science & Technology·Yigal ErelMordechai Stein

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Citations

Mar 3, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Erez Ben-Yosef
Jul 25, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Helle Vandkilde

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