Prehistoric Gold in Europe

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Chronology and Climatic Changes in Prehistory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Notes on a General Chronological Scheme for Europe

      • R. Gebhard

      Pages 3-5

   3. Outline of Climatic and Environmental Changes in Southern Central Europe over the Past 20,000 Years

      • J. Müller

      Pages 7-15

3. Gold and Society

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 17-17

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   2. Considerations on the Real and the Symbolic Value of Gold

      • O. Betz

      Pages 19-28

   3. Gold and Society in Prehistoric Europe

      • C. Eluere

      Pages 29-31

   4. The Monetary Aspect of Gold from Prehistoric to Modern Times

      • O. Bürger

      Pages 33-44

   5. From Gift to Commodity

      • M. Ruiz-Galvez

      Pages 45-63

   6. The Rise and Fall of Gold Metallurgy in the Copper Age of the Carpathian Basin: The Background of the Change

      • J. Makkay

      Pages 65-76

   7. Gold and Silver During the 3rd Mill. Cal. BC

      • M. Primas

      Pages 77-93

4. Sources of Precious Metals in Europe

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 95-95

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   2. Mineral Economics, Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Structure of Gold Deposits: An Overview

      • G. Morteani

      Pages 97-113

   3. The Gold Deposits of Europe

      • G. Lehrberger

      Pages 115-144

   4. Accumulation of Gold by Electrochemical Processes

      • P. Möller

      Pages 145-157

   5. Ore Mining in Prehistoric Europe: An Overview

      • G. Weisgerber, E. Pernicka

      Pages 159-182

   6. Gold Deposits and the Archaeological Distribution of Gold Artefacts

      • F. Müller

      Pages 183-198

   7. Gold in the ALPS: A View from the South

      • P. Piana Agostinetti, G. Bergonzi, M. Cattin, M. Del Soldato, F. M. Gambari, M. Tizzoni

      Pages 199-218

   8. Celtic Gold Mines in West Central Gaul

      • B. Cauuet

      Pages 219-240

5. Gold Metallurgy, Alloying and Chemical Analysis

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 241-241

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Interest in the study of early European cultures is growing. These cultures have left us objects made of gold, other metals and ceramics. The advent of metal detectors, coupled with improved analytical techniques, has increased the number of findings of such objects enormously. Gold was used for economic and ceremonial purposes and thus the gold objects are an important key to our understanding of the social and political structures, as well as the technological achievements, of Bronze and Iron Age European societies.
A correct interpretation of the information provided by gold and other metal objects requires the cooperation of experts in the fields of social, materials and natural science. Detailed investigation of gold deposits in Europe have revealed the composition and genesis of the deposits as sources of the metal.
In Prehistoric Gold in Europe, a group of leading European geoscientists, metallurgists and archaeologists discuss the techniques of gold mining and metallurgy, the socioeconomic importance of gold as coinage and a symbol of wealth and status, and as an indicator of religious habits, as well as a mirror of trade and cultural relations mirrored by the distribution and types of gold objects in prehistoric times.

• alloy
• metal
• metallurgy
• mining
• prehistory

• Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Mineralogie und Geochemie, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany

  Giulio Morteani

• Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

  Jeremy P. Northover

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