#I suppose to answer these questions I'd have to do an individual geochemical study of bronze and copper fabrications

[iamthepulta]

I love how many questions I'm plagued by when reading these texts. "In the Mediterranean, the most organized concentrated arrangement of copper smelting developed on the island of Cyprus. ... Cypriot copper galvanized a new era of trade among various parts of the region." (pg 24)

WHY. My first instinct is that Cypriot copper had a naturally low content of arsenic in it, which was better for tools (?) if I remember correctly. Usually copper smelted with arsenic is more malleable. Bronze Age peoples knew how to eliminate and add arsenic when valuable for the right As content. But I don't actually know that because he just says it was used for sculptures, tools, and utensils; no theories about why it was valued in particular.

Mostly putting on my list to visit Cyprus smelters though; Cyprus was already on my list because the structural geology is fun there, but smelters are a ++