Una explotación de cobre prehistórica: la mina "de la Turquesa" (o del Mas de les Morenes), Cornudella de Montsant, el Priorat, Tarragona

Abstract

In this paper we synthetically present the results of the studies carried out at La Turquesa prehistoric copper mine, preceded by an introduction to the oldest European mining, that has the role of contextualizing the mine. The results of the archaeological excavations carried out and the research on the structure and mineralogy of the mine (where there is not turquoise) within the framework of its local geological environment are presented. The analysis of the more than one hundred stone mining tools found in the course of the excavations shows their undoubtedly prehistoric nature, as well as their main characteristics from the point of view of the raw materials used and their manufacturing processes. The archaeometallurgical study has focused on two types of characterisation of the ores from the mine: elemental analyses (pXRF and X-ray diffraction) and characterisation by lead isotope analysis to define the isotopic field, allowing comparative studies to be made of the archaeological finds and identification of possible prehistoric objects manufactured using this copper ore. This archaeometallurgical research has shown the affinities between some ores and objects and indicates the use of the copper of La Turquesa mine in the elaboration of some of them. The results of a pioneering research implemented with the aim of verifying the existence of mining operations using the fire-setting technique are also presented. All this allows to establish the period of exploitation of the mine between the Chalcolithic and the Middle Bronze Age (2,800 to 1,300 BC), helps to know prehistoric mining in Catalonia, the character of the communities that occupied the territory and its relationship with mining and exchange and shows the importance of protecting and investigating the prehistoric mining heritage.