Review Reports

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

In this work, the authors investigated the Phoenician innovation in silver production by detecting silver isotopes in silver.

The authors present Ag isotopic values of 45 silver artifacts with known Pb-isotopic composition from the Southern Levant. All the sampled silver in this study contains relatively unfractionated Ag (-17 2≤ε109Ag ≤1.5) that was more likely produced from hypogene, primary Ag-bearing minerals (e.g., galena and jarosite) and not from native, supergene silver. The results suggest that while all silver was exploited from primary ore sources, the Phoenicians dug deeper into the deposits, reaching ore minerals that did not undergo any weathering-associated fractionation.

I think this paper makes significant contributions to the study of the Phoenician innovation in silver production. In my opinion, this work is worth publishing after some necessary comments. To the reader’s benefit, the authors must mention the technical characteristics of the equipment they utilized for their measurements.

 

Author Response

The reviewer mentioned: 

To the reader’s benefit, the authors must mention the technical characteristics of the equipment they utilized for their measurements.

We answer: 

We already provide the following information, and do not know what should be added: (lines 209-217)

“The samples were measured continuously from 26/2/2019 12:49 to 28/2/2019 00:32 using MC-ICP-MS (Neptune Thermo). We used four measurement blocks, each containing 10 acquisitions of 8.389 seconds integration time (one integration per cycle, 40 data points overall). ¹⁰⁷Ag was measured on the center cup, and used for peak centering. ¹¹¹Cd was also measured to correct for interferences on Pd, and had a typical response of 1.5E-5 volts or less. The ¹⁰⁷Ag, ¹⁰⁹Ag, ¹⁰⁵Pd, ¹⁰⁸Pd yielded signals that ranged between 1.5 to 2 volts. A mass bias correction was calculated using 1.18899 as the true value for ¹⁰⁸Pd/¹⁰⁵Pd. Operating conditions were optimized for maximum analyte signal intensity.”

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper is very well written with real logical arguments. The method and the results are scientifically sound. However, it requires polishing in the structure, headings, etc. Data presentation needs improvements.
- Fig. 3 please improve the display and revise the caption.
- Table 1: too small and hard to read.
- Display of Figs. 4 and 5 also require improvement
Overall manuscript is very good.

 

Author Response

- Fig. 3 please improve the display and revise the caption.

Please elaborate what should be improved in the Figure. The caption was revised (capital letters).

- Table 1: too small and hard to read.

The table was shifted by 90 degrees. It is now readable.

- Display of Figs. 4 and 5 also require improvement

Please explain what should be improved.

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors might want to include the actual numbers for the Ag isotope ratios in the introduction.  And note that the nearly 50 50 distribution is quite useful for detecting small variations.  

The font size for the Table is a bit small and hard to read.  Could that table be shifted by 90 degrees?

The authors might want to provide a bit more detail about mining methods in that era and where these ores were found.

 

 

Author Response

The authors might want to include the actual numbers for the Ag isotope ratios in the introduction.  

Actual numbers are presented in the Abstract. 

And note that the nearly 50 50 distribution is quite useful for detecting small variations.  

Can the editor please explain this comment?

The font size for the Table is a bit small and hard to read.  Could that table be shifted by 90 degrees?

The table was shifted.

The authors might want to provide a bit more detail about mining methods in that era and where these ores were found.

Detail was added in lines 30-33:

For millennia, lead ores were mined to produce silver. Generally speaking, after identifying potential areas for exploitation, vertical shafts were dug to provide excess to a vein of lead-rich minerals (the lead ore). Then, horizontal shafts which followed the direction of the vein were excavated (e.g., Craddock, 2014; Morin et al., 2020).