Discovered in 1964, the Rochelongue underwater archaeological site west of Cap d'Agde on the south coast of France is believed to be four small boats dating to about 600 BCE, before permanent Greek settlements appeared in the region. Their cargo included around 800 kilograms of copper ingots, and about 1,700 bronze artefacts made from very pure copper with traces of lead, antimony, nickel, and silver.
     For the first time, a team has examined the origins of these Iron Age metal items, showing the composition of different ingots is consistent with Iberian and also eastern Alpine sources, and possibly some Mediterranean sources, providing clues to the coastal mobility and cultural interactions between the Languedoc area and the broader Western Mediterranean basin 2,600 years ago.
     The various sizes, shapes and composition of the various ingots show they originated from diverse geographical sources, both continental and maritime. Metallic objects lend themselves to source tracing of geological components, and studies of processing and manufacture. The copper ingots contain low levels of impurities; more than half can be linked to the Iberian Peninsula. Others suggest local and western alpine mining and manufacture, and possibly north-western Sardinia. Local communities would be influenced by the trade for metals and the introduction of foreign cultural goods and practices, especially with seafaring people from the Levant, Aegean, and Greek mainland.
     Many artefacts can be seen at the Éphèbe Museum of Underwater Archeology.

Edited from EurekAlert!, PhysORG (13 December 2021)