COLOUR AS A MARKER FOR THE EARLIEST FORMS OF METALLURGICAL PROCESSES

Abstract

Early metallurgists had profound understanding of natural properties, enabling them to extract ore and obtain desired metals and various alloys. This empirical knowledge was acquired through a cognitive process, in which various materials and events, along with their significant properties, were observed and learned. In addition to taste, smell, and sound, colour should also hold a prominent position in the perceptual process. Colour served as a primary indicator for identifying and extracting valuable ore, ultimately allowing for the acquisition of desired metals and alloys. This article presents metallurgical processes on the territory of Georgia that are associated with the production of colourful metalwork. The colourful effects of studied materials shows the following picture: in the 6th-4th millenniums BC- monochromic metal production; 3rd millennium BC (second half) – bi-chromic production appears for the first time; first half of the 2nd millennium BC – polychrome of precious metals production; second half of 2nd millennium BC – precious metals polychromic production is replaced with non-ferrous metal (copper alloys) bi-chrome and polychrome; second half of 1st millennium BC – colour is not dominant any more in metalwork decoration and is replaced with other ornamentation methods (granulation, engraving, relief ornament); colourfulness returns with its amazing finesse to the goldsmith of Iberia in the Late-antique period. Studies indicate that colour plays a significant role in metallurgical processes, both in terms of functionality and aesthetics, as well as symbolically.

Keywords: Archaeology; colour; early metallurgy; Georgia; metal mining;