I am interested in Near Eastern non-ferrous metallurgy and metal working. Until now I investigated finds from the Chalcolithique to the Islamic Period in different regions such as the Levant (Chalcolithic, till the Byzantine period), Iran (Islamic Period) and the Caucasus (Iron Age). the artifacts I worked on include finished artefacts as well as workshop remains. The methods I employ involve an interdisciplinary approach combining archaeology, history and archaeometry (metallographic observation, Chemical analyses and Lead Isotope Analyses). My experience come from archaeological excavations in Lebanon, the IRAMAT-CRPAA lab where I obtained my PhD in archaeological science, the Departement of Islamic Art at the Louvre and the C2RMF Lab in Paris. I am currently setting up a laboratory for archaeological metals, ceramics and glass investigation at the Lebanese Atomic Energy Comission in Lebanon where I hav been recruited as a Researcher. Supervisors: Michel Pernot
Bulletin d'Archéologie et d'Architecture Libanaises (BAAL) 19 , 2019
The beginning of coinage in Phoenicia is recently considered to have started at the
end of the se... more The beginning of coinage in Phoenicia is recently considered to have started at the end of the second half of the fifth century BC. This dating is based on two arguments. The first is the presence of one Tyrian coin in the Hauran hoard buried in ca 445 BC. The second is related to the alleged ‘absence and intrusiveness’ of Phoenician coins in the hoards from the first half of the fifth century BC. The Tell Karayeb-Yanuh hoard is composed from silver fractions of archaic coins from Aegina and Miletus, silver fractions of Phoenician coins from Byblos, Sidon and Tyre as well as ‘hacksilber’. Being found in official excavations, this hoard undoubtedly proves the association of archaic Greek coins with Phoenician coins and thus invites to reconsider the starting date of the latter. A thorough study of circulation of these silver coins and objects coupled with the absence of Athenian and Thraco-Macedonian silver coins in the Tell Kharayeb-Yanuh hoard date its burial around 480 BC. This will consequently allow assigning a higher date to the beginning of the coinage in Phoenicia, early in the fifth century BC.
An ongoing study concerning the identifcation of copper provenances in the cities of Phoenicia du... more An ongoing study concerning the identifcation of copper provenances in the cities of Phoenicia during the Early Iron Age has delivered a first set of archaeometrical data from Sidon and Beirut. Our interpretation of the dataset points to several important results.
• Many of the sampled bronze objects were fabricated using copper from the mines in Wadi Arabah, indicating trade relations that lasted at least from the 11th to the 9th century BC.
• Parallel imports from further source areas, e.g. Cyprus, are, however, not excluded because of the still rather limited amount of lead isotope analyses.
• Recycling of scrap metal was not an important factor in Sidon and Beirut according to our analytical data. Continuing research in Lebanon will extend our knowledge on the exchange of commodities during the EIA, thus allowing deep insights into the structures of ancient economy.
Keywords: Trade, connectivity, Wadi Arabah, Faynan, Timna, Sidon, Beirut.
The remains of the bronze workshops discovered at parcel SFI654 in Beirut offer a rare opportunit... more The remains of the bronze workshops discovered at parcel SFI654 in Beirut offer a rare opportunity to investigate large bronze casting during the roman period. These consist mainly of three casting pits sated to the 2nd - 3rd Century AD and located in an architectural complex that probably had a religious character and to which a bath was associated. The careful examination of all technical ceramics and copper base alloy remains and the analyses of a representative sample group helped understanding how these pits worked. the casting activity took place during the construction of the complex to furnish it with large vessels and monumental doorframe fittings. Furthermore, the evidence revealed crucial steps of the manufacturing process of large bronzes. These show that the melting of the leaded bronze alloys was done in large stationnary crucibles connected to the molds by a duct used for pouring of the molten metal. The results from this investigation initiated a comparison between workshops of large bronzes from the Near East and Western Europe allowing us to reveal the similarities and the differences in the know-how of bronze casting craftsmen throughout the Roman Empire.
Materials chains in Late Prehistoric Europe and the Mediterranean, 2017
The aim of this paper is to investigate the knowhow and the choices craftsmen of Byblos made in s... more The aim of this paper is to investigate the knowhow and the choices craftsmen of Byblos made in selecting copper-based alloys, and to understand the role of the weapons, which were among their main products, in the context of Middle Bronze Age I Levantine societies. The work consists in reviewing and analysing the results obtained from the investigation of weapons from Byblos combined with archaeological and historical data from several Near Eastern sites. Weapon groups of different “symbolic status” were identified within these copper-based artefacts. This highlights how the craftsmen adapted their manufacturing processes and alloy recipes to create a wide range of products for a variety of “costumers” in a highly stratified society.
Les alliages cuivreux ont permis à l'homme d'obtenir des qualités nouvelles non disponibles pour ... more Les alliages cuivreux ont permis à l'homme d'obtenir des qualités nouvelles non disponibles pour le cuivre. En jouant sur les teneurs des différents ingrédients d'une recette, les artisans ont pu améliorer des propriétés requises pour la mise en forme comme la coulabilité, la plasticité et le succès du recuit, ainsi que pour les objets finis la couleur, la dureté et la malléabilité. La composition des recettes d'alliages anciennes dépendait alors des processus de fabrication et du produit final mais en même temps elle était limitée par la disponibilité de la matière première et les capacités techniques. D'autres aspects comme le cadre social, économique et culturel de l'artisan et du commanditaire pouvaient avoir une influence importante sur le choix de l'alliage cuivreux. Cependant, pour des raisons méthodologiques ou même idéologiques, ceux-ci ont rarement été étudiés dans le milieu de la recherche sur la métallurgie ancienne. Nous allons montrer que les artisans ne cherchaient pas nécessairement des alliages présentant les conditions optimales durant la fonte, la déformation plastique et l'usage. Ils établissaient également leurs recettes en prenant en compte la couleur, le coût du métal et la valeur de la pièce voulue, en se conformant à une tradition technique et en appliquant les connaissances apprises de leurs prédécesseurs et de leurs expériences. Nous illustrerons ces propos à l'aide de quatre exemples du Levant, de l'Iran et du Caucase couvrant une période de plus de trois millénaires. Nous abordons ce sujet en exposant brièvement les premiers millénaires de la métallurgie des alliages cuivreux au Proche-Orient pour définir le cadre historique général de ce chapitre.
The aim of this paper is to provide new data on the metallurgical activity in Lebanon during the ... more The aim of this paper is to provide new data on the metallurgical activity in Lebanon during the Early Bronze Age IV and the Middle Bronze Age by studying metal items discovered at the sites of Tell Arqa, Mougharet el-Hourryieh, Yanouh and Khariji. Even though some particularities were observed at each site, the results broadly show a common metallurgical tradition throughout the Levant manifested by the use of similar copper base alloy recipes and forming techniques. This work also provides the first data on the composition of silver and its alloys during the Middle Bronze Age in Lebanon.
The paper focuses on the manufacture and usage of selected sheet metal objects from helmets, a ve... more The paper focuses on the manufacture and usage of selected sheet metal objects from helmets, a vessel and two shields from the European Bronze Age and Early Iron Age which date from the 14th-7th centuries BC. Manufacturing traces on the surface, as well as metallographic investigations and the analyses of the alloy composition with SEM-EDXS provided an insight into the manufacturing techniques and the production of valuable, high status objects, and also highlighted potential changes in manufacturing techniques and alloys used during different time periods.
Forty-four Middle Bronze Age I weapons discovered at the sites of Byblos and Tell Arqa in Lebanon... more Forty-four Middle Bronze Age I weapons discovered at the sites of Byblos and Tell Arqa in Lebanon were investigated in order to study their copper quality and provenance. The evaluation of copper qualities is based on quantifying permanent inclusions such as copper sulfide and lead globules. The provenance of copper was studied using lead isotope analyses. For further discrimination between copper groups and sources elemental analyses by PIXE were performed on some of the weapons investigated. The results revealed two copper groups that could be qualified as “dirty” copper and “clean” copper. The former was used in most of the weapon types whereas the latter was reserved for items made of high-tin bronzes (>11 wt %) which underwent heavy hammering during the manufacturing process. Even though several potential copper sources were identified, the data point to Iran and Oman as the most probable areas of origin for the metal used in these weapons. These results contribute to the study of inter-regional exchange networks in the ancient Near East.
En 2007, des vestiges d’un atelier de bronziers de l’époque romaine ont été découverts sur le sit... more En 2007, des vestiges d’un atelier de bronziers de l’époque romaine ont été découverts sur le site JEM003 (parcelle 622 / Saïfi) situé à l’est du centre-ville de Beyrouth. Dans cet article nous présentons les résultats préliminaires de l’étude des structures métallurgiques et des restes en alliages cuivreux et en terre cuite. L’approche adoptée au cours de ce travail a consisté à coupler des données archéologiques à des examens et analyses archéométriques (MEB-EDS, métallographie, pétrographie et diffraction X). Les résultats ont permis de révéler des informations concernant les recettes d’alliages et de terres employées, de caractériser les savoir-faire des artisans, d’identifier leurs choix techniques et de comprendre la fonction et l’organisation interne de l’atelier.
Bulletin d'Archéologie et d'Architecture Libanaises (BAAL) 19 , 2019
The beginning of coinage in Phoenicia is recently considered to have started at the
end of the se... more The beginning of coinage in Phoenicia is recently considered to have started at the end of the second half of the fifth century BC. This dating is based on two arguments. The first is the presence of one Tyrian coin in the Hauran hoard buried in ca 445 BC. The second is related to the alleged ‘absence and intrusiveness’ of Phoenician coins in the hoards from the first half of the fifth century BC. The Tell Karayeb-Yanuh hoard is composed from silver fractions of archaic coins from Aegina and Miletus, silver fractions of Phoenician coins from Byblos, Sidon and Tyre as well as ‘hacksilber’. Being found in official excavations, this hoard undoubtedly proves the association of archaic Greek coins with Phoenician coins and thus invites to reconsider the starting date of the latter. A thorough study of circulation of these silver coins and objects coupled with the absence of Athenian and Thraco-Macedonian silver coins in the Tell Kharayeb-Yanuh hoard date its burial around 480 BC. This will consequently allow assigning a higher date to the beginning of the coinage in Phoenicia, early in the fifth century BC.
An ongoing study concerning the identifcation of copper provenances in the cities of Phoenicia du... more An ongoing study concerning the identifcation of copper provenances in the cities of Phoenicia during the Early Iron Age has delivered a first set of archaeometrical data from Sidon and Beirut. Our interpretation of the dataset points to several important results.
• Many of the sampled bronze objects were fabricated using copper from the mines in Wadi Arabah, indicating trade relations that lasted at least from the 11th to the 9th century BC.
• Parallel imports from further source areas, e.g. Cyprus, are, however, not excluded because of the still rather limited amount of lead isotope analyses.
• Recycling of scrap metal was not an important factor in Sidon and Beirut according to our analytical data. Continuing research in Lebanon will extend our knowledge on the exchange of commodities during the EIA, thus allowing deep insights into the structures of ancient economy.
Keywords: Trade, connectivity, Wadi Arabah, Faynan, Timna, Sidon, Beirut.
The remains of the bronze workshops discovered at parcel SFI654 in Beirut offer a rare opportunit... more The remains of the bronze workshops discovered at parcel SFI654 in Beirut offer a rare opportunity to investigate large bronze casting during the roman period. These consist mainly of three casting pits sated to the 2nd - 3rd Century AD and located in an architectural complex that probably had a religious character and to which a bath was associated. The careful examination of all technical ceramics and copper base alloy remains and the analyses of a representative sample group helped understanding how these pits worked. the casting activity took place during the construction of the complex to furnish it with large vessels and monumental doorframe fittings. Furthermore, the evidence revealed crucial steps of the manufacturing process of large bronzes. These show that the melting of the leaded bronze alloys was done in large stationnary crucibles connected to the molds by a duct used for pouring of the molten metal. The results from this investigation initiated a comparison between workshops of large bronzes from the Near East and Western Europe allowing us to reveal the similarities and the differences in the know-how of bronze casting craftsmen throughout the Roman Empire.
Materials chains in Late Prehistoric Europe and the Mediterranean, 2017
The aim of this paper is to investigate the knowhow and the choices craftsmen of Byblos made in s... more The aim of this paper is to investigate the knowhow and the choices craftsmen of Byblos made in selecting copper-based alloys, and to understand the role of the weapons, which were among their main products, in the context of Middle Bronze Age I Levantine societies. The work consists in reviewing and analysing the results obtained from the investigation of weapons from Byblos combined with archaeological and historical data from several Near Eastern sites. Weapon groups of different “symbolic status” were identified within these copper-based artefacts. This highlights how the craftsmen adapted their manufacturing processes and alloy recipes to create a wide range of products for a variety of “costumers” in a highly stratified society.
Les alliages cuivreux ont permis à l'homme d'obtenir des qualités nouvelles non disponibles pour ... more Les alliages cuivreux ont permis à l'homme d'obtenir des qualités nouvelles non disponibles pour le cuivre. En jouant sur les teneurs des différents ingrédients d'une recette, les artisans ont pu améliorer des propriétés requises pour la mise en forme comme la coulabilité, la plasticité et le succès du recuit, ainsi que pour les objets finis la couleur, la dureté et la malléabilité. La composition des recettes d'alliages anciennes dépendait alors des processus de fabrication et du produit final mais en même temps elle était limitée par la disponibilité de la matière première et les capacités techniques. D'autres aspects comme le cadre social, économique et culturel de l'artisan et du commanditaire pouvaient avoir une influence importante sur le choix de l'alliage cuivreux. Cependant, pour des raisons méthodologiques ou même idéologiques, ceux-ci ont rarement été étudiés dans le milieu de la recherche sur la métallurgie ancienne. Nous allons montrer que les artisans ne cherchaient pas nécessairement des alliages présentant les conditions optimales durant la fonte, la déformation plastique et l'usage. Ils établissaient également leurs recettes en prenant en compte la couleur, le coût du métal et la valeur de la pièce voulue, en se conformant à une tradition technique et en appliquant les connaissances apprises de leurs prédécesseurs et de leurs expériences. Nous illustrerons ces propos à l'aide de quatre exemples du Levant, de l'Iran et du Caucase couvrant une période de plus de trois millénaires. Nous abordons ce sujet en exposant brièvement les premiers millénaires de la métallurgie des alliages cuivreux au Proche-Orient pour définir le cadre historique général de ce chapitre.
The aim of this paper is to provide new data on the metallurgical activity in Lebanon during the ... more The aim of this paper is to provide new data on the metallurgical activity in Lebanon during the Early Bronze Age IV and the Middle Bronze Age by studying metal items discovered at the sites of Tell Arqa, Mougharet el-Hourryieh, Yanouh and Khariji. Even though some particularities were observed at each site, the results broadly show a common metallurgical tradition throughout the Levant manifested by the use of similar copper base alloy recipes and forming techniques. This work also provides the first data on the composition of silver and its alloys during the Middle Bronze Age in Lebanon.
The paper focuses on the manufacture and usage of selected sheet metal objects from helmets, a ve... more The paper focuses on the manufacture and usage of selected sheet metal objects from helmets, a vessel and two shields from the European Bronze Age and Early Iron Age which date from the 14th-7th centuries BC. Manufacturing traces on the surface, as well as metallographic investigations and the analyses of the alloy composition with SEM-EDXS provided an insight into the manufacturing techniques and the production of valuable, high status objects, and also highlighted potential changes in manufacturing techniques and alloys used during different time periods.
Forty-four Middle Bronze Age I weapons discovered at the sites of Byblos and Tell Arqa in Lebanon... more Forty-four Middle Bronze Age I weapons discovered at the sites of Byblos and Tell Arqa in Lebanon were investigated in order to study their copper quality and provenance. The evaluation of copper qualities is based on quantifying permanent inclusions such as copper sulfide and lead globules. The provenance of copper was studied using lead isotope analyses. For further discrimination between copper groups and sources elemental analyses by PIXE were performed on some of the weapons investigated. The results revealed two copper groups that could be qualified as “dirty” copper and “clean” copper. The former was used in most of the weapon types whereas the latter was reserved for items made of high-tin bronzes (>11 wt %) which underwent heavy hammering during the manufacturing process. Even though several potential copper sources were identified, the data point to Iran and Oman as the most probable areas of origin for the metal used in these weapons. These results contribute to the study of inter-regional exchange networks in the ancient Near East.
En 2007, des vestiges d’un atelier de bronziers de l’époque romaine ont été découverts sur le sit... more En 2007, des vestiges d’un atelier de bronziers de l’époque romaine ont été découverts sur le site JEM003 (parcelle 622 / Saïfi) situé à l’est du centre-ville de Beyrouth. Dans cet article nous présentons les résultats préliminaires de l’étude des structures métallurgiques et des restes en alliages cuivreux et en terre cuite. L’approche adoptée au cours de ce travail a consisté à coupler des données archéologiques à des examens et analyses archéométriques (MEB-EDS, métallographie, pétrographie et diffraction X). Les résultats ont permis de révéler des informations concernant les recettes d’alliages et de terres employées, de caractériser les savoir-faire des artisans, d’identifier leurs choix techniques et de comprendre la fonction et l’organisation interne de l’atelier.
La culture matérielle constitue souvent le principal, sinon l'unique, moyen d'accès aux sociétés ... more La culture matérielle constitue souvent le principal, sinon l'unique, moyen d'accès aux sociétés passées et son interprétation hors du contexte social qui l'a produite est souvent contrainte par le manque d'informations disponibles. L'existence d'une dimension « idéelle » au sein de la culture matérielle des populations humaines actuelles est largement documentée. Peut-on néanmoins accéder aux mêmes éléments pour les sociétés du passé à partir des vestiges anciens ? Nombre de récentes découvertes illustrent autant la difficulté d'identifier cette dimension immatérielle, que de la faire reconnaître dès lors qu'elle touche à la singularité de l'Homme. En témoigne les débats sur la capacité de Neandertal à produire de l'art.
Dans le cadre du volet formation du LabEx des Sciences Archéologiques de Bordeaux, nous proposons une journée d'étude dont l'objectif est d'interroger plusieurs disciplines (archéologie, ethnographie, anthropologie sociale, etc.), toutes confrontées à l'Homme et son exploitation de l'environnement, afin d'ouvrir une discussion d'ordre épistémologique. Il ne s'agit pas tant de proposer une méthodologie clé en main issue d'études de cas, que de poser un cadre de réflexion théorique et d'interroger les relations entre production matérielle et production d'idées, à l'aune des données accessibles à l'archéologue. L'interprétation archéologique étant par définition construite sur un corpus lacunaire, comment mettre en évidence ce lien entre « l'idéel et le matériel » (Godelier, 1984) ?
Cette journée se propose donc d'explorer une série de questionnements (qu'est-ce qu'est-ce que la culture matérielle ? À quel moment et de quelle manière un objet acquiert-il une fonction autre que pratique ? Etc.) du point de vue de plusieurs disciplines et de sonder les concepts applicables en archéologie. Les modèles et les bases de réflexion portant sur le mécanisme des relations entre l’homme, sa production matérielle et ses idées, tels que proposés par plusieurs disciplines des Sciences Humaines et Sociales seront exposés et discutés.
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Papers by Ziad El Morr
end of the second half of the fifth century BC. This dating is based on two arguments.
The first is the presence of one Tyrian coin in the Hauran hoard buried in ca 445 BC.
The second is related to the alleged ‘absence and intrusiveness’ of Phoenician coins in
the hoards from the first half of the fifth century BC. The Tell Karayeb-Yanuh hoard is
composed from silver fractions of archaic coins from Aegina and Miletus, silver fractions
of Phoenician coins from Byblos, Sidon and Tyre as well as ‘hacksilber’. Being found
in official excavations, this hoard undoubtedly proves the association of archaic Greek
coins with Phoenician coins and thus invites to reconsider the starting date of the latter.
A thorough study of circulation of these silver coins and objects coupled with the absence
of Athenian and Thraco-Macedonian silver coins in the Tell Kharayeb-Yanuh hoard date
its burial around 480 BC. This will consequently allow assigning a higher date to the
beginning of the coinage in Phoenicia, early in the fifth century BC.
• Many of the sampled bronze objects were fabricated using copper from the mines in Wadi Arabah, indicating trade relations that lasted at least from the 11th to the 9th century BC.
• Parallel imports from further source areas, e.g. Cyprus, are, however, not excluded because of the still rather limited amount of lead isotope analyses.
• Recycling of scrap metal was not an important factor in Sidon and Beirut according to our analytical data. Continuing research in Lebanon will extend our knowledge on the exchange of commodities during the EIA, thus allowing deep insights into the structures of ancient economy.
Keywords: Trade, connectivity, Wadi Arabah, Faynan, Timna, Sidon, Beirut.
end of the second half of the fifth century BC. This dating is based on two arguments.
The first is the presence of one Tyrian coin in the Hauran hoard buried in ca 445 BC.
The second is related to the alleged ‘absence and intrusiveness’ of Phoenician coins in
the hoards from the first half of the fifth century BC. The Tell Karayeb-Yanuh hoard is
composed from silver fractions of archaic coins from Aegina and Miletus, silver fractions
of Phoenician coins from Byblos, Sidon and Tyre as well as ‘hacksilber’. Being found
in official excavations, this hoard undoubtedly proves the association of archaic Greek
coins with Phoenician coins and thus invites to reconsider the starting date of the latter.
A thorough study of circulation of these silver coins and objects coupled with the absence
of Athenian and Thraco-Macedonian silver coins in the Tell Kharayeb-Yanuh hoard date
its burial around 480 BC. This will consequently allow assigning a higher date to the
beginning of the coinage in Phoenicia, early in the fifth century BC.
• Many of the sampled bronze objects were fabricated using copper from the mines in Wadi Arabah, indicating trade relations that lasted at least from the 11th to the 9th century BC.
• Parallel imports from further source areas, e.g. Cyprus, are, however, not excluded because of the still rather limited amount of lead isotope analyses.
• Recycling of scrap metal was not an important factor in Sidon and Beirut according to our analytical data. Continuing research in Lebanon will extend our knowledge on the exchange of commodities during the EIA, thus allowing deep insights into the structures of ancient economy.
Keywords: Trade, connectivity, Wadi Arabah, Faynan, Timna, Sidon, Beirut.
Dans le cadre du volet formation du LabEx des Sciences Archéologiques de Bordeaux, nous proposons une journée d'étude dont l'objectif est d'interroger plusieurs disciplines (archéologie, ethnographie, anthropologie sociale, etc.), toutes confrontées à l'Homme et son exploitation de l'environnement, afin d'ouvrir une discussion d'ordre épistémologique. Il ne s'agit pas tant de proposer une méthodologie clé en main issue d'études de cas, que de poser un cadre de réflexion théorique et d'interroger les relations entre production matérielle et production d'idées, à l'aune des données accessibles à l'archéologue. L'interprétation archéologique étant par définition construite sur un corpus lacunaire, comment mettre en évidence ce lien entre « l'idéel et le matériel » (Godelier, 1984) ?
Cette journée se propose donc d'explorer une série de questionnements (qu'est-ce qu'est-ce que la culture matérielle ? À quel moment et de quelle manière un objet acquiert-il une fonction autre que pratique ? Etc.) du point de vue de plusieurs disciplines et de sonder les concepts applicables en archéologie. Les modèles et les bases de réflexion portant sur le mécanisme des relations entre l’homme, sa production matérielle et ses idées, tels que proposés par plusieurs disciplines des Sciences Humaines et Sociales seront exposés et discutés.