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Domestic pottery sherds used in non-ferrous metalworking: a study from early medieval Prague

Domestic pottery sherds used in non-ferrous metalworking: a study from early medieval Prague Among archaeometallurgical remains from Prague of the tenth and eleventh centuries AD, attention has been focused on a single type of finds: fragments of common ceramic kitchenware secondarily utilised in assaying ores and in the production and refinement of non-ferrous metals. Fifteen samples from several sites were selected for EDS-SEM analyses of various parts of glassy, slaggy and metallic coatings, of metallic prills and of the primary and secondary mineral phases in these solidified melts. Variable intermediate products of silver and gold extraction were identified, as were examples of the successful cupellation and refinement of these metals. The secondary utilisation of silver scrap has been ruled out by the chemical composition of the coatings on the majority of sherds with a significant Ag content. In contrast, substantial concentrations of other metallic elements (e.g. Bi, Sn) and coatings of Cu- and Fe-sulphide mixtures in some samples correspond to the early stages of the metallurgical processing of non-ferrous metals (ore concentrates) or initial metallurgical intermediate products. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Springer Journals

Domestic pottery sherds used in non-ferrous metalworking: a study from early medieval Prague

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References (60)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 by Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
Subject
Earth Sciences; Earth Sciences, general; Archaeology; Chemistry/Food Science, general; Geography, general; Life Sciences, general; Anthropology
ISSN
1866-9557
eISSN
1866-9565
DOI
10.1007/s12520-019-00865-w
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Among archaeometallurgical remains from Prague of the tenth and eleventh centuries AD, attention has been focused on a single type of finds: fragments of common ceramic kitchenware secondarily utilised in assaying ores and in the production and refinement of non-ferrous metals. Fifteen samples from several sites were selected for EDS-SEM analyses of various parts of glassy, slaggy and metallic coatings, of metallic prills and of the primary and secondary mineral phases in these solidified melts. Variable intermediate products of silver and gold extraction were identified, as were examples of the successful cupellation and refinement of these metals. The secondary utilisation of silver scrap has been ruled out by the chemical composition of the coatings on the majority of sherds with a significant Ag content. In contrast, substantial concentrations of other metallic elements (e.g. Bi, Sn) and coatings of Cu- and Fe-sulphide mixtures in some samples correspond to the early stages of the metallurgical processing of non-ferrous metals (ore concentrates) or initial metallurgical intermediate products.

Journal

Archaeological and Anthropological SciencesSpringer Journals

Published: Jun 22, 2019

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