Hematite, shadanu, was used for cutting small objects like beads, seals, weights. In metallurgy it was used as a flux in smelting copper and as a rich iron ore. As hematite is not indigenous in Mesopotamia, it had to be imported, like many basic materials. Combining archaeological, philological, metallurgical and geo-archaeological data, this study aims to expand our knowledge about a typical feature of Mesopotamian society, its dependence on contacts with the surrounding territories.
Date of completion: July 2, 2005 [table “6” not found /]
Categories: PhD ResearchPhD Research completed