Open casting moulds were used for the production of copper ingots, which were used for further modelling. The T-shaped bar ingots exhibited here were a common shape in which metal was traded during the early Bronze Age in the Levant.

The moulds were made from special clay, and tempered to withstand high temperatures. They were pre-fired then heated prior to casting, in order to avoid thermal shock that would crack or even break them.

Site: Khirbat Hamrat Ifdan in Wadi `Arabah

Period: Early Bronze Age 2700-2300 BC