Mar.4] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCH/EOLOGY. [1890.specimensof copper pinsor nails analysedby Roberts-Austen gave
in one instanceno tin, and in another C22 per cent. Butin the
thirdcityat Hissarlik, battleaxesandotherimplementsfound in
the " treasure" gave a larger amount of tin ; one examined by
Damourgave3-84per cent., anotherby Lyons, 8-64per cent., while
twoothersby Roberts-Austen yieldedrespectively4^39and 57 per
cent Zincwas entirely absent.
All these observationsindicate howthe stone implementswere
graduallyreplacedby those of copper, and how,by increasing the
amountof tin, this waschanged into the more valuablealloy of
bronze.** For the composition of ancient bronzesoccurringin different countries,and
a summary of what wasknownuponthe subject up to 1883, see Professor K.
Reyer's" Die Kupferlegirungen, ihre Darstellungund Verwendungbei den
Volkerndes Alterthums," Archivfiir Anthropologic, vol. xiv, p. 357.\
234