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Garnets (19 pieces) of Late Antique S-fibulae from the archaeological site at Lajh-Kranj (Slovenia) were analysed with Raman microspectroscopy to obtain their mineral characteristic, including inclusion assemblage. Most garnets were determined as almandines Type I of pyralspite solid solution series; however, three garnets showed a higher Mg, Mn and Ca contents and were determined as almandines Type II. Most significant Raman bands were determined in the range of 169–173 cm−1 (T(X2+)), 346–352 cm−1 (R(SiO4)), 557–559 cm−1 (ν2), 633–637 cm−1 (ν4), 917–919 cm−1 (ν1), and 1042–1045 cm−1 (ν3). Shifting of certain Raman bands toward higher frequencies was the result of an increase of the Mg content in the garnet composition, which also indicates the presence of pyrope end member in solid garnet solutions. Inclusions of apatite, quartz, mica, magnetite, ilmenite, as well as inclusions with pleochroic or radiation halo and tension fissures (zircon), were found in most of the garnets. Rutile and sillimanite were found only in garnets with the highest pyrope content. Spherical inclusions were also observed in two garnets, which may indicate the presence of melt or gas residues. The determined inclusion assemblage indicates the formation of garnets during medium- to high-grade metamorphism of amphibolite or granulite facies. According to earlier investigations of the garnets from Late Antique jewellery, the investigated garnets are believed to originate from India.

Roman slag from the archaeological site near Mo{nje (NW Slovenia) was studied with respect to its mineralogical and geochemical characteristics. Samples were analysed with light microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) and Raman microspectroscopy. A chemical investigation was carried out using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-ES) to determine the major elements. The investigated slags are recognized as iron slags, grouped into two main classes according to their chemical and mineralogical compositions. The first group is characterized by high Fe2O3 and low SiO2 contents and the second by high CaO and SiO2 and low Fe2O3 contents. The phase occurrence obviously depends on the chemical composition as the first group mainly consists of fayalite, wüstite and magnetite, and the second one of augite, leucite, hedenbergite, monticellite and kirschsteinite. Keywords: slag, archaeometallurgy, iron slag, Roman slag, archaeological site near Mo{nje (Slovenia) V prispevku je obravnavana rimska`lindra z arheolo{kega najdi{~a Mo{nje (SZ Slovenija), pri kateri smo dolo~ili mineralno in kemijsko sestavo. Vzorci so bili analizirani s svetlobno mikroskopijo, rentgensko pra{kovno difrakcijo, SEM-EDS in ramansko mikrospektroskopijo. Kemijska sestava glavnih elementov je bila dolo~ena z ICP-ES. Preiskana`lindra dokazuje, da izvira iz pridelave`eleza na tem podro~ju. Glede na mineralo{ko in kemijsko sestavo lahko delimo`lindro na dve skupini. Za prvo skupino je zna~ilna visoka vsebnost Fe2O3 in nizka vsebnost SiO2, za drugo pa visoki vsebnosti SiO2 in CaO ter nizka vsebnost Fe2O3. Kemijska sestava vpliva na mineralne faze; tako je za prvo skupino zna~ilen fajalit, wustit in magnetit, za drugo pa avgit, levcit, hedenbergit, monticelit in kirschsteinit.

This study concerns the microfacies characterization of white and black limestone tesserae from selected Roman floor mosaics in Slovenia, with the aim of defining their provenance. We investigated 42 tesserae from 15 different mosaics from the archaeological sites of Ljubljana, Izola, Mošnje, Ptuj, Črnomelj and Šentpavel, dated from the first century BC to the fifth century AD. Among the studied tesserae, 13 different microfacies were identified: eight black and five white. The most common were mudstones with ostracods (65% of black tesserae) and wacke-packstones with miliolids (85% of white tesserae). The majority of the identified facies can be found in the Cretaceous successions of the Dinaric Carbonate Platform in southwestern Slovenia, north-eastern Italy and south-eastern Croatia, suggesting a regional or imported origin of the tesserae.