Investigations on Copper Cast Cakes, Sickle Fragments and a Spout Axe of the Hoard Find from Drassburg/Burgenland

Abstract

The Bronze Age hoard from Drassburg contains among other objects cast cakes, sickles, spout axes and fragments of these. Ten copper alloy samples were examined by metallography. The high Pb content of three cast cakes indicates that Pb or Pb ores were intentionally added to the metallic copper. Two cast cakes contain small amounts of Pb and probably copper from the primary production. One cast cake is a Sn bronze. The sickle and socket axe fragments are Sn bronze with different composition. Most microstructures show dendritic solidification, and sometimes, deformation structures are observed. It can be assumed that the copper alloys of the Drassburg hoard were used for recycling. If one considers the quite different alloy compositions, it is impossible to trace the copper ore sources using Pb isotopy or trace element analysis. This applies to the present copper alloys as well as to objects made from recycled material.