CHAr. XL] 



THE METALLURGY OF BRONZE. 



409 



ANALYSIS OF FRENCH BRONZE ARTICLES OP BRONZE AGE. 1 



1 Chantre, L'Age du Bronze. 



The presence of lead, and of iron, zinc, sulphur, silver, 

 and nickel, in extremely small quantities, is probably due 

 to their not having been separated from the copper in the 

 operation of smelting. In some cases, however, such as 

 the socketed celts from northern France in the above 

 table, the percentage of lead is too great to have been 

 accidental, and in one case rises to 28*50, while tin is 

 reduced to a mere trace. Lead would add to the tough- 

 ness of the alloy, and may have been used where the 

 supply of tin had run short. In anvils and cold chisels, 

 where great hardness was required, the normal amount 

 of tin was very much exceeded. 



It may be gathered from the analyses of ancient 



