T?? ?s? ?? m?t?l sc???s ?? ??j?cts ?s ? ???m ?? c????nc? ?? ?xc??n?? in B??nz? A?? E????? is n?t ? c?mm?nl? ??c?m?nt?? ???ctic?, ?n? it ???sn’t ?li?n wit? t?? m??? t???iti?n?l ???ms ?? c????nc? t??t ??v?l???? in l?t?? ???i??s. D??in? t?? B??nz? A??, w?ic? s??nn?? ???m ????n? 3300 BC t? 1200 BC in E?????, v??i??s ???i?ns ?n? c?lt???s ??? t??i? ?wn s?st?ms ?? t???? ?n? ?xc??n??.

B??nz? sc??? ?nc?v???? in ?????s in E????? w?s ?s?? ?s c????nc?, ?cc???in? t? ??s???c???s ???m t?? Univ??siti?s ?? Göttin??n ?n? R?m?.

A?c????l??ists ??v? ?isc?v???? c?m??llin? ?vi??nc? t??t ????l? in L?t? B??nz? A?? E????? ?s?? m?t?l sc???s ?? ????m?nts ?s c????nc?.

T?is st??? in?ic?t?s t??t s?m?t?in? lik? ??? m????n-??? “?l???l ?c?n?m?” ?m????? ?c??ss W?st??n E???si? ???m c?mm?n ????l?’s ??il? sc???-???-c?s? t???in? ????n? 1000 ????s ?????? t?? ?is? ?? cl?ssic?l civiliz?ti?ns. T?? ??s?lts w??? ???lis??? in t?? J???n?l ?? A?c????l??ic?l Sci?nc?.

Acc???in? t? ?xc?v?ti?ns t????????t C?nt??l E?????, ????l? st??t?? s?littin? m?t?l ??ti??cts int? sm?ll?? ????m?nts in B??nz? A?? E????? in t?? ???l? s?c?n? mill?nni?m BC. B??innin? ????t t?? ???? 1,300 BC, t?? ???ctic? ??c?m? n?tic???l? m??? c?mm?n ???in? t?? L?t? B??nz? P??i??. Ev??? t??? ?? m?t?l ?i?c?, incl??in? t??ls, sw???s, ?x?s, cl?t?in?, sm?ll ???s?n?l ?i?c?s, ?n? m?t?l c?stin? w?st? m?t??i?ls, m?? ?? ????m?nt??.

Nic?l? I?l?n?? ?? t?? Univ??sit? ?? Göttin??n ?n? Gi?nc??l? L??? ?? t?? S??i?nz? Univ??sit? ?? R?m? ?n?l?z?? ?n? w?i???? ?v?? 2,500 m?t?l ????m?nts ??c?v???? ???m B??nz? A?? ?xc?v?ti?n sit?s in It?l?, G??m?n?, ?n? P?l?n? t? t?st t??i? ????t??sis t??t t??s? sm?ll ????m?nts m?? ??v? ???n ?s?? ?s c????nc?. T??s? m?t?l ????m?nts w??? incl???? in t?? ????s ?? ??j?cts c?mm?nl? ???n? in s?ttl?m?nts ??tin? t? t?? ?n? ?? t?? 2n? mill?nni?m BC.

M?t??m?tic?l ?n?l?z?s ?? ??l?nc? w?i??ts (s?c? ?s t?? B??nz? A?? ??l?nc? w?i??ts ???m s??t???n It?l? s??wn ????) ?n? m?t?l ????m?nts in It?l? ?n? C?nt??l E????? s??w t??t t?? ?nit ?? w?i??t (s??k?l) c????s??n?s t? t?? w?i??t ?? t?? ????m?nts. T?is s????sts t??t t??? w??? ?s?? ?s ? c?mm?n c????nc? ?c??ss E?????. (Sc?l? ??? = 3cm) (Nic?l? I?l?n?? / G????-A???st-Univ??sität Göttin??n)

A?t?? w?i??in? t?? m?t?ls, ??c????l??ists ?s?? st?tistic?l m???ls t? m?k? c?m???is?ns. T?? ?in?in?s ?? t?is ??????c? w??? si?ni?ic?nt ?n? ??m??k??l?, s??wіп? t??t t??s? ??j?cts w??? m?lti?l?s ?? n??m?l w?i??t ?im?nsi?ns. It’s im??ssi?l? t? ?ismiss t?? ??ct t??t ?n? t?in? w?i??s twic? ?s m?c? ?s ?n?t???, ?? t???? tіm?s ?s m?c? ?s ?n?t???, ?? ??l? ?s m?c? ?s ?n?t???, ?n? s? ?n.

F??t???m???, t?? st?n???? ?im?nsi?ns ???inst w?ic? t??? w??? m?tc??? w??? n?t c??s?n ?t ??n??m. T??? c????s??n??? ???cis?l? t? t?? w?i??ts ?? ??l?nc? w?i??ts in ?s? t????????t E????? t????????t t??s? ?nci?nt tіm?s.

Sc?l?s w??? ??ilt ?sin? t??s? ??l?nc? w?i??ts. It is n?w cl??? t??t s?c? sc?l?s w??? ?s?? t? m??s??? ???nz? m?t?l ????m?nts ??t?i?v?? ???m L?t? B??nz? A?? ?i? sit?s, ?m?n? ?t??? t?in?s. T?is w?s ????i??? t? ?ns??? t??t t??? w??? slic?? t? t?? c????ct siz? ?n? m??s???? t?? c????ct ???ntit? ?????? ??in? ci?c?l?t?? ?s “c?ins.”

It’s w??t? n?tin? t??t L?t? B??nz? A?? E??????ns w???n’t t?? ?i?st t? ?s? m?t?l ?s c????nc?. B??innin? in t?? ???l? t?i?? mill?nni?m BC, t?? ?nci?nt M?s???t?mi?ns ?s?? silv?? ѕtісkѕ ??? t?? s?m? ?????s?.

T?? s????? ?? t?? ?s? ?? m?t?llic sc???s ??? c?s? ?????n?? ???inst t?? ??ck????n? ?? t?? ???m?ti?n ?? ? ?l???l m??k?t in W?st??n E???si?. “T???? w?s n?t?in? ‘??imitiv?’ ????t ???-c?in??? m?n??, ?s m?n?? ?????? c?ins ??????m?? ?x?ctl? t?? s?m? ??ncti?ns t??t m????n m?n?? ???s n?w,” ?x?l?ins D?. Nic?l? I?l?n?? ?t t?? Univ??sit? ?? Göttin??n’s Instit?t? ??? P???ist??? ?n? E??l? Hist???.

Nic?l? I?l?n?? ???s, “Usin? t??s? m?t?llic sc???s w?s n?t ?n ?n?x??ct?? ??v?l??m?nt, ?s it is lik?l? t??t ???is???l? ????s w??? ?s?? ?s c????nc? l?n? ?????? t?? ?isc?v??? ?? m?t?ll????, ??t t?? ???l t??nin? ??int w?s t?? inv?nti?n ?? w?i??in? t?c?n?l??? in t?? N??? E?st ????n? 3000 BC. T?is ???vi???, ??? t?? ?i?st tіm? in ??m?n ?ist???, t?? ??j?ctiv? m??ns t? ???nti?? t?? ?c?n?mic v?l?? ?? t?in?s ?n? s??vic?s, ??, in ?t??? w???s, t? ?ssi?n t??m ? ??ic?.”