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Thierry De Putter
Earth Sciences
Geodynamics and mineral resources
Geodynamics and mineral resources
Publication details
Rademakers, F., Nikis, N., De Putter, T. & Degryse, P. 2019. ‘Provenancing Central African copper croisettes: a first chemical and lead isotope characterisation of currencies in Central and Southern Africa’. Journal of Archaeological Science 111. DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2019.105010. (PR).
Article in a scientific Journal / Article in a Journal
The Copperbelt is one of the richest copper deposits in the world and has been an important primary metal
source for Central African cultures for over a millennium. The technology underlying this exploitation and the
trade networks through which copper was exchanged, however, have not yet received much attention in archaeological
research. This paper presents the first geochemical dataset for archaeological copper currencies in
Central and Southern Africa: croisette ingots. Chemical and lead isotope analysis have been carried out for 45
precolonial copper artefacts with the aim of illuminating their provenance and production technology. The
results show that highly pure copper with very low trace element content was produced, indicating the selection,
beneficiation and smelting of specific Copperbelt ores. The variable croisette compositions and shapes reflected in
burial assemblages support their suggested use as currencies over a large area. This study offers a highly novel
contribution to provenance research in Central and Southern Africa, shedding new light on the broader trade
networks associated with copper provisioning in these regions. The exploitation of a range of ore sources
throughout the 2nd millennium CE has been identified, with a marked shift around the mid-15th century CE
largely correlating to croisette typologies. Furthermore, these different geochemical copper signatures can be
tentatively related to different Copperbelt zones. Combining these results with archaeological and historical
evidence for regional copper production and consumption, this study provides a framework for the future study
of copper production and exchange systems in the wider Central and Southern African region.