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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">AB</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Archaeologia Baltica</journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2351-6534</issn>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">1392-5520</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>KU</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">06_BLIUJIENE</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.15181/ab.v31i0.2667</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Article</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Lead isotopes in the context of the provenance of copper alloys and mutability processes in Lithuania from the second half of the 1st century to the 13th century AD</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5526-3885</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Bliujienė</surname>
            <given-names>Audronė</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_AB_aff_000"/>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_AB_aff_000">Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania</aff>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1287-7881</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Vybernaitė-Lubienė</surname>
            <given-names>Irma</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_AB_aff_001"/>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_AB_aff_001">Klaipėda University, Marine Research Institute, Universiteto Ave. 17, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania</aff>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Biveinytė</surname>
            <given-names>Veronika</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_AB_aff_002"/>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_AB_aff_002">Klaipėda University, Marine Research Institute, Universiteto Ave. 17, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania</aff>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3473-0611</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Pudžaitis</surname>
            <given-names>Vaidas</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_AB_aff_003"/>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_AB_aff_003">Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology, Department of Organic Chemistry, Savanorių Ave. 231, LT-02300 Vilnius, Lithuania</aff>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Babenskas</surname>
            <given-names>Evaldas</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_AB_aff_004"/>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_AB_aff_004">Independent researcher</aff>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3328-819X</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Petrauskas</surname>
            <given-names>Gediminas</given-names>
          </name>
          <email xlink:href="mailto:gediminas.petrauskas@ku.lt">gediminas.petrauskas@ku.lt</email>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_AB_aff_005"/>
          <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor6">∗∗∗∗∗∗</xref>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_AB_aff_005">Klaipėda University, Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology, Herkaus Manto St. 84, LT-92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania</aff>
      </contrib-group>
      <author-notes>
        <corresp id="cor6"><label>∗∗∗∗∗∗</label>Corresponding author.</corresp>
      </author-notes>
      <volume>31</volume>
      <fpage>98</fpage>
      <lpage>126</lpage>
      <pub-date pub-type="ppub">
        <day>27</day>
        <month>12</month>
        <year>2024</year>
      </pub-date>
      <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>27</day>
        <month>12</month>
        <year>2024</year>
      </pub-date>
      <history>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>20</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2024</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="rev-recd">
          <day>01</day>
          <month>10</month>
          <year>2024</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>30</day>
          <month>10</month>
          <year>2024</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <permissions>
        <copyright-year>2024</copyright-year>
        <copyright-holder>Klaipėda University</copyright-holder>
        <ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/"/>
      </permissions>
      <abstract>
        <p>This paper presents the results of analysis of lead isotope ratios (208Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb,</p>
        <p>206Pb/204Pb, 208Pb/206Pb, 207Pb/206Pb) in copper alloys combined with chemical composition</p>
        <p>studies of archaeological artefacts by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS).</p>
        <p>The study covers a total of 208 samples collected from 55 sites spread all over Lithuania. The</p>
        <p>chronological range of the study encompasses the period from the second half of the 1st century</p>
        <p>AD to the 13th century AD. The repeated recycling of copper alloys, the addition of scrap materials</p>
        <p>with varying compositions, and the mixing of lead from different geological ore deposits naturally</p>
        <p>alter the original chemical composition of the alloy. The continuous recycling and alteration</p>
        <p>of materials pose challenges in identifying the original connections between the regions of origin</p>
        <p>of copper alloy ores in southern Eurasia and the users of these raw materials in the eastern Baltic</p>
        <p>Sea region. Together with lead isotope ratio analysis, investigation of copper alloy types, copper</p>
        <p>groups, and metal working technological development fundamentally changes the idea of a linear</p>
        <p>exchange of non-ferrous metals. The analysis carried out in this research has enabled the identification</p>
        <p>of the provenance and dissemination of non-ferrous metal raw materials (alloys and scrap</p>
        <p>metal) as part of the European exchange network at local (the present territory of Lithuania),</p>
        <p>regional (the eastern Baltic region), and trans-European levels.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group>
        <label>Keywords</label>
        <kwd>lead isotope ratios</kwd>
        <kwd>mutability</kwd>
        <kwd>copper groups</kwd>
        <kwd>copper alloy provenance</kwd>
        <kwd>the second half of the 1st century to the 13th century AD</kwd>
        <kwd>exchange networks</kwd>
        <kwd>Lithuania</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
</article>
