THERMOLUMINESCENCE DATING OF A CRUCIBLE FRAGMENT FROM AN EARLY TIN PROCESSING SITE IN TURKEY

Archaeological exploration in the Taurus mountains at Goltepe in south -central Turkey has uncovered a site indicating the presence of extens ive tin ore mining and smelting operations. The most recent find of sm elting crucible fragments allowed for a thermoluminescence-based age d etermination spanning a late fifth to early third millennium BC date. This result is consistent with a number of radiocarbon dates derived f or charcoal also found at the site. The importance of this site relate s to the possible tin production and subsequent trade with south-weste rn Asia which would have provided this otherwise scarce ingredient to bronze technology in that area. This date is directly for crucible mat erial and thus confirms the antiquity of tin smelting at Goltepe.