Ermine Magradze
PhD in Geology
Chief Research Fellow
Gori, Georgia
Ermine Magradze
PhD in Geology
Chief Research Fellow
Gori, Georgia
Bronze Metallurgy in the Upper Basin of the Qvirila River in the 8th-7th centuries BC
The presentation "Bronze Metallurgy in the Upper Basin of the Qvirila River in the 8th-7th Centuries BC" discusses the scientific research process on the working principles of crucibles used for bronze production, which were discovered in the Sakhoveli metallurgical site in the village of Sairkhe, Sachkhere district, by archaeologists in 1968. These artifacts, with their unique form, have always attracted attention, but a mystery remained for scientists: despite the abundance of crucibles for bronze smelting and various bronze items cast using them, no furnace capable of producing the high temperatures required for melting metal — where these crucibles should have been placed — was found during archaeological excavations.
Through numerous experiments conducted by us, solid scientific evidence has established that the metallurgists of Sairkhe possessed a highly original method for bronze production. They developed a type of crucible that did not require a large furnace capable of generating high temperatures. Instead, these crucibles themselves were capable of melting copper and alloying it with tin to produce bronze, making what is typically a complex and expensive metallurgical process much simpler and cheaper.
Along with the presentation, a 4-minute documentary film on the scientific experiments conducted will be shown.
Keywords: 8th-7th centuries BC, archaeology, metallurgy, crucibles, bronze.