New evidence for metallurgy in the Late Neolithic in the Upper Rhine valley: the finds from Colmar “Aérodrome” und Eckwersheim “Burgweg”

Abstract

The Upper Rhine Valley does not belong to the core regions of the late Neolithic metallurgy, even if metal is occasionally found in contexts of the Michelsberg and Munzingen cultures. Two recent findings made in Alsace reveal important information concerning the beginning of copper use in the Upper Rhine Valley. These new discoveries prompted us to collate and study all the Neolithic copper artefacts previously found in Alsace and in neighbouring areas and, where possible, to carry out new metallic trace-element analysis. The aim of this study was to get a better understanding of the context and importance of that metallurgical industry in the Rhine valley based on two new discoveries. This work suggests that we were already dealing with an established copper processing in Alsace and the neighbouring areas in the (late) Neolithic, which had strong links to the Neolithic metallurgy centre on Lake Zurich and Lake Constance.