On the origin of nickel in the early caucasian bronze

A.N.Yegorkov

Abstract

The early (III mil. BC) arsenical bronze of Caucasus often demonstrates a high nickel content, but the examiners’ opinions about the origin of this metal are contradictive. High nickel content is explained as property of copper imported from south [Черных 1966], or as a result of alloying local copper with nickeline NiAs [Галибин 1991]. In this paper a high nickel is accounted for as taken provenance from so called Fahlerz type ores admixed to the primary sulfide ones used at this time for copper or bronze smelting. The Fahlerz ores form the zone of secondary enrichment between the primary sulphides and the weathered surface (gossan). They may contain a high arsenic amount as well as nickel. Indeed, nickel in bronze is accompanied by arsenic whilst the appearance of high nickel only in the early bronze age is caused by the Fahlerz forming an upper part of main ore body exhausted in the first stage.

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