DOUBLE-LOOPED PALSTAVES FROM THE LATE BRONZE AGE / EARLY IRON AGE OF THE WESTERN IBERIAN PENINSULA: NEW TECHNOLOGICAL INSIGHTS FROM SANTA JUSTA (NORTH OF PORTUGAL)

Abstract

Palstaves are one of the most common types of copper-based tool spread out during the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and the Early Iron Age (EIA), particularly between ca. 10th and 8th century BC, across Western Iberia. Hundreds have been found in hoards and settlements, especially in the Centre and North of Portugal and Galicia (Spain). This paper focuses on the study of two double-looped palstaves from Serra of Santa Justa (Valongo, North of Portugal), with the aim to discuss issues related to their production technology. For this purpose, different analytical techniques, such as X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Optical Microscopy (OM), have been used. The results show that the two palstaves were produced with two operational chains: while specimen MDDS-2010.0069 is a leaded bronze (Cu+Sn+Pb) with an as-cast microstructure, the MDDS-2010.0082 is a binary bronze (Cu+Sn) with grains resulting from the forging and annealing of the metal after the ancient metallurgist took the palstave off from the mould. Based on the data presented in this paper, it is reported that the analytical characteristics of the two palstaves analysed here are consistent on a regional scale with data already known from other similar artefacts.