JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE, cilt.37, sa.5, ss.1033-1041, 2010 (SCI-Expanded)
In this study, arsenic, copper and lead content of a group of human and animal bones recovered from the Early Bronze Age Ikiztepe site have been analyzed using ICP-MS method Average arsenic value of 90 femur bones of a human was found to be 15.0 +/- 5.79 ppm which was varied among age and sex groups, and among species Origin of arsenic accumulation in bones was diagenetic because overall the groups were highly variable The distribution of metallic items among the burials had a big affect on the arsenic uptake of the bones Copper and lead values supported the diagenetic arsenic accumulation in the bones as well Their values on the bones were not as high as those for the individuals Involved in metal working activities in the ancient world. Judging from these data, It is concluded that Ikiztepe people did not produce the manufactured metallic items using arsenical copper but might have been imported from the other sites (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.