Ancient Athens’ oldest coins, minted in the period of the Athenian tyranny in the lead up to democracy in the 6th century BC, were created from ores such as silver originating around the world, a new study suggests, revealing a previously unknown ancient global trade.
The study, published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, sheds light on how exiled Peisistratus, who ruled ancient Athens as a tyrant three times, managed to set up silver mining operations in spite of the fact that hostile local tribes controlled the regions and its mines. It has long been argued that Peisistratus sourced the silver from the districts of Mount Pangaion and the Strymon river in northern Greece, followed by the exploitation of mines in Lavrion, near Athens.
Athenian coinage was instigated by Peisitratus, who ruled Athens from 546 to 510 BC. This first series of coins in ancient Athens is known as Wappenmunzen, referring to an array of silver and electrum coins, of which the most important were the ‘horse,’ the ‘gorgon,’ and the ‘wheel,’ each of which had their own variations. They were later replaced by the long-lasting and emblematic design for which Athens’s coinage became best known—the owl of Athena.
Researchers studied 22 ancient coins from Peisistratus’ time, 16 from the Numismatic Museum in Athens and six from the British Museum in London. Apart from silver, the coins contain a mixture of other elements, including copper, zinc, gold and lead. They rubbed these pieces on paper strips to obtain a small quantity of the metals, then used a chemical analysis technique known as gas chromatography (a separation technique using gas flow through a glass or metal column that separates compounds). Lead mined from around the world has different isotopic signatures, reflecting those locations. Therefore the researchers were able to match the coins’ signatures to those held on a lead isotope database, allowing them to pinpoint where the material came from.
The analysis of the data researchers collected shows that the Athenians used a wide and unexpected variety of ore sources for the minting of their first series of coins, ranging from Spain in the west to the south of France, through to Turkey in the east and the Rhodope mountains and Romania in the north—the key finding of the study. Lavrion ores, according to the findings of the researchers, were not found in the 22 sampled Wappenmunzen.
The authors suggest that Peisistratus must have tapped international connections to mint coins under his rule, while the overall analysis points to undocumented trading relationships and a much more interconnected ancient world.
Peisistratus was an ancient Greek statesman who ruled Athens three times as a tyrant. His reforms laid the foundations for the city’s later supremacy in Greece.
Born around 600 BC, he first came to power with a coup in 561 BC and ruled Athens as a tyrant two more times, from 559 to 556 BC and again in 546 until his death in 528 BC. He was very popular with Athenians.
His defense of the lower class of Athens is an early example of populism. While in power, he confronted the aristocracy and significantly reduced their privileges, confiscating their estates and giving them to the poor.
He also funded many religious and artistic programs in order to improve the economy and distribute wealth more equally among Athenians.
Peisistratus’ legacy includes the unification of Attica, the organization of the Panathenaic Games and the first attempt to produce a definitive edition of Homer’s epics (until then hand-written copies were available only to the rich).
The Athenian ruler promoted the cults of Athena and Dionysus and began the construction of the temple to Athena on the Acropolis. He also promoted a number of other public works, including the Lyceum, temples to Apollo and Zeus, and the Fountain of the Nine Springs.
Furthermore, he supported literature and the arts, and the city’s Dionysia festival flourished during his time. The Athenian coinage had been introduced by about 550 BC and may reflect a policy of his, though there is no clear reference of this in contemporary documents.
