Ashmolean Museum: AMULET: Cypriot Copper 2

		Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
		AMULETs
		Ancient Cyprus in the Ashmolean Museum

Cypriot Copper: Mysteries of the Bronze Age

What is Bronze? Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Prior to the production of bronze, most tools and weapons were made from copper only. Copper and tin are found as minerals in the natural environment. When these minerals are extracted the process is called mining. When copper and tin are heated together at 950°, they liquidify and form a new substance that is more durable than copper alone. This new material is called bronze, and its strength made it a highly desirable metal to make weapons and tools out of.


Replica production of bronze ingots.	Replica moulds for ingots (Oxhide, above; and box, below).	Replica moulds and ingots.

These photographs show the production of replica bronze ingots using methods that are thought to be similar to the technology that could have been used to produce the objects contained in the following pages. The pictures show replica moulds and the replica ingots made in them, in the two main forms used to transport the metal in the Mediterranean region during the Bronze Age: oxhide ingots and bun ingots. For more information consult: http://www.ancientroute.com/resource/metal/Copper.htm

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Last updated: 21-oct-2004