Arsenical bronze 5625092 144747594 2007-07-15T06:28:00Z Dekimasu 1893265 Disambiguation, link to [[Vulcan]] '''Arsenical bronze''' (or '''arsenical copper''') is an [[alloy]] in which [[arsenic]] is added to [[copper]] as opposed to, or in addition to other constituent [[metal]]s. The use of arsenic in bronze, either as the secondary constituent or with another component such as [[tin]], results in a stronger final product. Since copper [[ore]] is often naturally contaminated with arsenic, the term "arsenical bronze" is typically only applied to alloys which contain enough arsenic (exceeding 2-3%) to suggest its intentional inclusion.<ref>Jordan, David K. "Ancient Metallurgy." 20 Mar. 2006. [[UCSD]]. Retrieved 27 Jun. 2006. [http://weber.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/arch/metallurgy.html]</ref> Because it is harder than unmixed copper, arsenical bronze was used for weapons and tools during the early [[Bronze Age]]; for example, it has been found in artifacts from the [[Fertile Crescent]] <ref>An overview of Mesopotamian bronze metallurgy during the 3rd millennium BC, I. De Ryck, A.Adriaens, F.Adams [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=12&url=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.ugent.be%2Fretrieve%2F2650%2FJournalCulturalHeritageDeRyck2005.pdf&ei=aSAmRtyOCYz00QTtysndBQ&usg=__Q9eEoYVoi4vVBu0ktuJyIeq_9sg=&sig2=X4K7mmOCTvOlnco5emllWw]</ref> which date back to the [[4th millennium BC|fourth]] and [[3rd millennium BC|third millennia BCE]]. It was likely used because tin (a common component of bronze) was rare in many regions and had to be imported. It has been suggested that the reason that [[Smith (metalwork)|smith]]-[[god]]s of various cultures (such as the [[Greece|Greek]] and [[Rome|Roman]] gods [[Hephaestus]] and [[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]], but also including African and Scandinavian gods) were depicted as being lame is that muscular atrophy and loss of reflexes are indicative of chronic arsenic poisoning.<ref name=mythology> Saggs, H. W. F. Civilization Before Greece and Rome, pp. 200-2001. New Haven Yale University Press, 1989</ref> ==References== <references/> {{alloy-stub}} [[Category:Copper alloys]] [[Category:Metallurgy]] [[Category:History of technology]]