Bronze alloys from Canaan during the Middle Bronze Age

The chemical composition of 50 figurines, jewellery, weapons and tools of Middle Bronze Age from Canaan was studied. Although tin-bronze was already being alloyed in the late Early Bronze Age, our results show that during the Middle Bronze Age, arsenical bronze was still in use simultaneously with tin-bronze, mostly in weapons and tools. On the other hand, casting of tin-bronze figurines and jewellery flourished during the Middle Bronze Age, enhancing the creativity of artistic and sophisticated metal objects in the Land of the Canaanites. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.