A Shortage Caused the Widespread Creation of Fake Silver
A severe shortage of silver was identified in the Levant during the first Iron Age, between 1200-950 BC. At this time the tribes of Israel settled in Canaan and began to melt silver with a high percentage of copper. An article in
Jerusalem Post says small percentages of silver were mixed with other substances such as arsenic, which perhaps made the pieces look like solid silver, however, this fake silver was a “deliberate forgery,” according to the researchers.
The study has examined new archaeological data gathered from sites in Beit She’an, Megiddo, and Ashkelon, and represents the doctoral dissertation of Tzilla Eshel, under the supervision of Prof. Ayelet Gilboa from the University of Haifa, as well as Prof. Yigal Erel and Dr. Naama Yahalom-Mack from Hebrew University. The student’s conclusion suggests the lack of silver supplies led to a shortage and that this might even have been a principal reason the tri