ANALYSIS OF MATERIALS OF THE MIDDLE BRONZE AGE WM. B. MELDRUM AND ARTHUR E. PALMER, HAVERPORD COLLEGE, HAVEWORD,
PENNSYLVANIA In this paper are given the results of an analytical examination into the composition of various articles from Beth Shemesh, Palestine, chiefly metal articles and residues from jars. These were furnished by Dr. Elihu Grant, who as head of the Havexford Archeological Expedition has carried out extensive excavations a t the site of this old city of the Canaanites. At three distinct levels the remains of as many cities were found, the lowest, a t bed rock, being that of the ancient Canaanites who dwelt there long before the occupation of Palestine by the Hebrews. Beth Shemesh, although not directly on the main caravan route between the two great centers of civilization, the valley of the Nile and the valley of the Euphrates, was not far removed from i t and was much used by travelers over this route. Accordingly, and as evidence of trade with both east and west, in addition to the essentially plain pottery of the Canaanites were found decorated pottery from Cyprus and metal articles of fine artistry from Cyprus, Crete, and Egypt, and, it may be, from Mesopotamia also. The value of such data as are presented here lies, for the most part, in the indication which they may give as to the sources of raw materials, the methods of extraction and fabrication, to the course of trade, to the customs and mode of living of the users, and to the fixing of the period of their production-all in coordination with information from other sources. Quantitative data of this sort seem to he rare in the literature. The metal articles analyzed were mostly classifiable as bronzes. It is fairly certain that these were of Egyptian origin or a t least of Egyptian fabrication, the copper coming from the mines of the Sinai peninsula or possibly from Cyprus, and the tin being supplied by the Phoenicians, who even a t so early a date were the sailors of the Mediterranean. There is no evidence that there was tin ore available in Egypt or its immediate environs. Some of the analytical results obtained are given in Table I. The letters in the first column indicate the object as given in the list below. In the last column are given the ratios of copper to tin, which, as our evidence shows, may be taken as very nearly the ratio in the original uncorroded metal itself although determined from badly corroded samples. In addition to analyses shown, arsenic was found in traces in all samples except A; iron in traces in all samples except D; zinc except in G and J. Silver was found in traces in a few of the samples indicating crudity in methods of separation of the metals. These results in the main bear out the testimony offered by Lucas (Ancient Egyptian Materials, A. Lucas, p. 235) that over a lengthy period, from the third to the eighteenth dynasty, no definite progress 2171
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Novsaaeen. 1931
TABLE I Cophr %
T
