Copper production at Baratti (Populonia, southern Tuscany) in the early Etruscan period (9th–8th centuries BC)

Chiarantini, Laura; Benvenuti, Marco; Costagliola, Pilario; Fedi, Mariaelena; Guideri, S.; Romualdi, Antonella

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.03.026

Cited by 32 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The great ability of this population in metallurgy is widely known, as well their practice to use charcoal for copper production at least since 800 b.C. (Chiarantini et al, 2009). Hence, the forests of the present study area were an inexhaustible source of all types of wood needed for the metallurgic activity since that time and they can be considered "Metallurgical Forests", as defined in ParadisGrenouillet (2012).…”

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 87%

The old charcoal kiln sites in Central Italian forest landscapes

Carrari

Ampoorter

Bottalico

et al. 2017

Quaternary International

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a b s t r a c tProduction of wood charcoal in the Mediterranean countries started over two millennia ago and vanished almost completely only in the last century. The legacy of this activity are thousands of abandoned charcoal kiln platforms, in which soil and vegetation characteristics are deeply affected. Understanding the consequences of such effects at the forest level demands a better knowledge of the density, distribution and morphology of these sites, as well as the influence of forest type and local geomorphological characteristics. We examined these aspects using field surveys and Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data in 1-ha sample quadrats distributed along an altitudinal gradient in three major forest types of Central Italy, namely evergreen sclerophyllous forest, oak-dominated thermophilous deciduous forest and montane beech forest. We found on average 5.5 kiln sites per ha. The highest overall surface proportion covered by charcoal platforms was recorded in oak-dominated forests, due to their generally larger size. In beech forests, kiln platforms were more numerous than in the other two forest types, but smaller. Density was intermediate in the sclerophyllous forests, where the overall proportion of surface was lowest. The charcoal-enriched soil layer was usually single and continuous (e.g. not interrupted by mineral layers). The thickness of this layer was similar in the three forest types, but increased with slope inclination. Several features of our kiln platforms such as density and shape were distinct from others in Central and Northern Europe, probably reflecting different forest histories and purposes for which they were built. Using ALS, we could detect all kiln platforms in beech forest on steep slopes and approximately 75% of the kilns in oak forests on hilly terrain. Hence, all further ecologically-or archaeologically-oriented study in our region at the landscape level will benefit from the use of hillshade and/or slope images from ALS data.

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Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 87%

The old charcoal kiln sites in Central Italian forest landscapes

Carrari

Ampoorter

Bottalico

et al. 2017

Quaternary International

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“…Thus, the Tuscan mining district (Italy), which is primarily known for its Etruscan and Medieval activities (Chiarantini et al 2009;Costagliola et al 2008), appears to be a good candidate for the provenance of the copper of the lunulae from group A(I). The discovery of a copper ingot related to the Early Bronze Age near Serrabottini (Massa Marittima, Tuscany) proves that this mining district was in all likelihood exploited earlier (Aranguren and Sozzi 2005;Aranguren et al 2007).…”

Section: Evidence Of Circulation Network During the Beginning Of Thementioning

confidence: 99%

Provenance of Early Bronze Age metal artefacts in Western Switzerland using elemental and lead isotopic compositions and their possible relation with copper minerals of the nearby Valais

Cattin

Guénette-Beck

Curdy³

et al. 2011

Journal of Archaeological Science

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Ten Early Bronze Age (BzA1, 2200-2000 BC) copper artefacts from the central Valais region from Switzerland were studied for their elemental composition and lead isotope ratios. In order to answer the archaeological question of a local copper supply, a database for copper minerals across the Valais (Switzerland) has been established. This database contains 69 data on lead isotope ratios as well as additional information on the minerals and geochemical associations for copper minerals from 38 locations in the Valais. Comparisons of the artefacts were also made with data pertaining to minerals from various deposits from Europe and Anatolia taken from the literature. The provenance of the materials is very diverse. Some of the data are compatible with the data from the copper mineral deposits of the Valais region. Moreover, three copper lunulae were identified as possibly Tuscan, which demonstrates contacts between Italy and the Valais region. This pattern also establishes a multiplicity of provenances for the metal and cultural influences in the Alpine environment of the Rhone Valley of Switzerland at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age.

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“…; smelting on Elba (and Populonia) seems then to have continued until the late 1st century C.E., as indicated by Roman material found in some slag heaps (cf. Chiarantini et al, , ; Corretti et al, ; and Sabbadini, , respectively). A wreck with abundant ore fragments found in front of the Procchio smelting sites, dating to the late 2nd century C.E.…”

Section: Archeological Contextmentioning

confidence: 95%

Reconstructing human–landscape interactions in the context of ancient iron smelting on Elba Island, Italy, using sedimentological evidence

et al. 2019

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We reconstruct human–landscape interactions in the context of ancient bloomery smelting on Elba Island, Tyrrhenian Sea, based on sedimentological evidence. Elba was, together with Populonia, the center of iron production in antiquity (mid‐6th century B.C.E. to 1st century C.E.). The sediment sequences obtained by vibracoring in the Campo plain reveal that the Holocene transgression triggered aggradation during the Early–Middle Holocene (>5.4 ka cal BP). Nevertheless, wetland conditions prevailed in low‐lying areas during Roman times. Correspondingly, ancient smelting sites are found only on elevated areas along the edge of the plain. The palaeolandscape thus plays a key role in understanding location factors for smelting sites in antiquity. Our sediment sequences indicate that during Etrusco–Roman times (2.4–2.0 ka cal BP) morphodynamics on the island increased, as is evident from the alteration of slope deposits and slack water deposits in upstream positions, and the change from lacustrine to alluvial deposition in downstream areas. The charcoal record shows that fire dynamics increased simultaneously. The sediments that are synsedimentary to the ancient smelting period show significantly increased arsenic contents and high sediment magnetic susceptibility, whereas overall concentrations of heavy metals remain in the range of the geogenic background signal.

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Copper production at Baratti (Populonia, southern Tuscany) in the early Etruscan period (9th–8th centuries BC)

Cited by 32 publications

References 16 publications

The old charcoal kiln sites in Central Italian forest landscapes

The old charcoal kiln sites in Central Italian forest landscapes

Provenance of Early Bronze Age metal artefacts in Western Switzerland using elemental and lead isotopic compositions and their possible relation with copper minerals of the nearby Valais

Reconstructing human–landscape interactions in the context of ancient iron smelting on Elba Island, Italy, using sedimentological evidence

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