Mineralogy of Medieval Slags From Lead and Silver Smelting (Bohutín, Příbram District, Czech Republic): Towards Estimation of Historical Smelting Conditions*

Ettler, Vojtěch; Červinka, Radek; Johan, Zdeněk

doi:10.1111/j.1475-4754.2008.00455.x

Cited by 65 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…At the same time, they are different from Bohutín (Czech Republic) or Massa Marittima (Italy) slags, which did not include calcium phases in such large quantities [27,28]. This fact is reflected in the melting temperatures, estimated at 800-1200 • C in Bohutín's case [27] and 1150-1300 • C in Massa Marittima [28]. It is worth noting that slags from Bohutín and Massa Marittima are younger (14th century), so they can be a result of a more advanced enrichment and smelting process.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Multiple geochemical investigations show that, historically, lead production has had an impact on environmental pollution since the Roman times, e.g., in England [21], Sweden [22], and Spain [23]. Metal transfer from the waste to the environment can occur even for several hundred years after the end of metallurgy or mining [24,25].Medieval lead and silver metallurgy is studied using mineralogical investigations of slags in France [26], Czech Republic [11,27], Germany [10], Italy [28]. There is relatively little data about medieval Pb-Ag early metallurgy in the Silesian-Cracow region (Southern Poland).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Medieval lead and silver metallurgy is studied using mineralogical investigations of slags in France [26], Czech Republic [11,27], Germany [10], Italy [28]. There is relatively little data about medieval Pb-Ag early metallurgy in the Silesian-Cracow region (Southern Poland).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Pb-Rich Slags, Minerals, and Pollution Resulted from a Medieval Ag-Pb Smelting and Mining Operation in the Silesian-Cracovian Region (Southern Poland)

Cabała

Warchulski

Rozmus³

et al. 2019

Minerals

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Since the 12th century in the Silesian-Cracovian area, lead, litharge, and silver have been produced by the pyrometallurgical processing of Pb-Ag-Zn ore. Slags and soils contaminated with heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe, Mn, As) were the subject of this research. Samples were collected during archaeological works in the area of early medieval metallurgical settlement. The main goals of the analyses (Scanning Electron Miscroscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Electron Probe Microanalyzer (EPMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)) were the determination of the mineralogical composition of furnace batches and smelting temperatures and conditions. In soils, the anthropogenic phases enriched in Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, P, and primary minerals like goethite, ferrihydrite, sphalerite, galena, smithsonite, minrecordite, cerussite, gypsum, anglesite, jarosite, and hemimorphite were identified. The soil from former metallurgical settlements contained up to 1106 mg·kg −1 Pb, 782 mg·kg −1 Zn, 4.7 mg·kg −1 Cd in the fine fraction. Much higher heavy metal concentrations were observed in the waste products of ore rinsing, up to 49,282 mg·kg −1 Pb, 64,408 mg·kg −1 Zn, and 287 mg·kg −1 Cd. The medieval smelting industry and Pb-Ag-Zn ore processing are marked by highly anomalous geochemical pollution (Pb, Zn, Cd, Fe, Mn, Ba) in the topsoil. The methods of mineralogical investigation, such as SEM-EDS or EMPA, can be used to identify mineralogical phases formed during metallurgical processes or ore processing. Based on these methods, the characteristic primary assemblage and synthetic phases were identified in the area polluted by medieval metallurgy and mining of Pb-Ag-Zn ores, including MVT (Mississippi Valley Type) deposits. The minerals distinguished in slags and the structural features of metal-bearing aggregates allow us to conclude that batches have included mostly oxidised minerals (PbCO 3 , ZnCO 3 , CaZn(CO 3 ) 2 , FeOOH), sulfides (PbS and ZnS) and quartz (SiO 2 ). The laboratory experiment of high-temperature heating of the examined slags showed that smelting temperatures used in the second half of 13th century were very high and could have reached up to 1550 • C. The results indicate, that geochemical and mineralogical methods can be used to obtain important information from archaeological sites, even after archaeological work has long ceased.Minerals 2020, 10, 28 2 of 16 mining and metallurgy centres since Roman times. In the period between the 10th and 12th centuries, iron, lead, tin, silver, and gold had become more important for the development of civilization in Central and Eastern European countries. Since the beginning of the 10th century in medieval Europe, in areas where ores of Ag-Pb, Au, As-Au, Cu, Sn and Fe occurr, mining centres have appeared, such as at the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), Harz Mountains, and Sudetes.One of Europe's largest Zn-Pb, MVT (Mississippi Valley) type ore deposits can be found in the Silesian-Cracow area (southern Poland) [1]. Shallow deposits are represented...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

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confidence: 99%

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Pb-Rich Slags, Minerals, and Pollution Resulted from a Medieval Ag-Pb Smelting and Mining Operation in the Silesian-Cracovian Region (Southern Poland)

Cabała

Warchulski

Rozmus³

et al. 2019

Minerals

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“…Olivíny zde netvořily dlouhé lišty, ale spíše automorfně omezená široká prizmata (obr. 10c, d) značící pomalé tuhnutí taveniny (Ettler et al 2009). Zřejmě v souhlasu s tím zde nebyla ani sklovitá fáze častá, nevyskytovaly se…”

Section: Petrografická Analýza Strusek a Stěny Výhněunclassified

Raně středověké sídliště v Žerotíně, trať Cepový rybník

Hlubek¹,

Moník²,

Kapusta³

2019

Archaeologia Historica

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This article discusses the research conducted by K. Ludikovský at the Cepový rybník site in the cadastral zone of the village of Žerotín. Two pyrotechnical facilities were investigated there in 1959, interpreted as simple smelting furnaces. The analysis of pottery enabled the dating of the production complex to the late 9th century or the 10th century. In 2018, the revision of all finds held by the Regional Museum in Olomouc was carried out, both finds from the research and older, randomly acquired sherds from the site. The new analysis of pottery places the local settlement between the first half of the 10th century and the first half of the 11th century, while the analysis of slags yielded by the research confirms that iron was processed on the site.

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“…Slag viscosity estimations The slag viscosity was calculated after Bachmann (1982) and Ettler et al . (2009), including ZnO in the calculation.…”

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confidence: 99%

Mineralogical and Petrological Investigations of Early Bronze Age Copper‐smelting Remains From the Kiechlberg (Tyrol, Austria)

et al. 2012

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The prehistoric settlement on the Kiechlberg hilltop is located a few kilometres to the northeast of Innsbruck, in the Tyrolean Inn Valley. Despite its rather isolated location, a multiphase settlement between the fifth and the second millennium BC was confirmed by archaeological investigations in 2007 and 2008. Metallurgical artefacts, such as copper ore fragments, copper slag and raw copper, as well as finished copper and bronze artefacts, are concentrated mainly in Late Copper Age to Middle Bronze Age layers. The chemical compositions of the slag and raw metals confirm Fe-Zn tetrahedrite-tennantite (fahlore) smelting. The ore was most probably imported from the 30-50 km distant copper ore deposits (mainly fahlore) of Schwaz-Brixlegg, in the Lower Inn Valley. The small amount of slag and the presence of slagged and thermally altered ceramic fragments suggest copper production in small-scale workshops. Most probably, sulphide-rich ores were smelted in crucibles in a hearth fire. The process was relatively reducing below the 2Sb + 1.5O 2 → Sb 2 O 3 reaction (-8.5 log fO 2 at 1100°C), producing Sb-rich (>10 wt% Sb in metal) raw copper. Inhomogeneous slag remains containing high amounts of sulphide and metal inclusions suggest a poor separation of the metal, matte (copper sulphide) and silicate/oxide melt during the smelting process.

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Mineralogy of Medieval Slags From Lead and Silver Smelting (Bohutín, Příbram District, Czech Republic): Towards Estimation of Historical Smelting Conditions*

Cited by 65 publications

References 16 publications

Pb-Rich Slags, Minerals, and Pollution Resulted from a Medieval Ag-Pb Smelting and Mining Operation in the Silesian-Cracovian Region (Southern Poland)

Pb-Rich Slags, Minerals, and Pollution Resulted from a Medieval Ag-Pb Smelting and Mining Operation in the Silesian-Cracovian Region (Southern Poland)

Raně středověké sídliště v Žerotíně, trať Cepový rybník

Mineralogical and Petrological Investigations of Early Bronze Age Copper‐smelting Remains From the Kiechlberg (Tyrol, Austria)

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