From commodity to money: The rise of silver coinage around the Ancient Mediterranean (sixth-first centuries bce).

ABSTRACT: The reasons why the Western Mediterranean, especially Carthage and Rome, resisted monetization relative to the Eastern Mediterranean are still unclear. We address this question by combining lead (Pb) and silver (Ag) isotope abundances in silver coinage from the Aegean, Magna Graecia, Carthage and Roman Republic. The clear relationships observed between ¹⁰⁹Ag/¹⁰⁷Ag and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb reflect the mixing of silver ores or silver objects with Pb metal used for cupellation. The combined analysis of Ag and Pb isotopes reveals important information about the technology of smelting. The Greek world extracted Ag and Pb from associated ores, whereas, on the Iberian Peninsula, Carthaginians and Republican-era Romans applied Phoenician cupellation techniques an

SUBMITTER: Albarede F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7821003 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature