First results of metallographic analysis and absolute dating of iron finds from Nowe Brzesko, site 26, Proszowice District

Abstract

This paper presents the results of analyses of metal artefacts discovered at a multiphase site in Nowe Brzesko, Małopolskie Voivodeship, Poland. Fieldwalking prospection led to the discovery of steely iron objects, ploughed out on the site among other numerous archeological finds. A prospecting sondage yielded more corroded metal artefacts, identified mainly as agricultural tools (e.g. sickles, scythes). These chronologically nondistinctive artefacts could be assigned to the third to fourth century AD using radiocarbon dating, complemented by metallurgical analysis. The results open up new research perspectives on the economy and society of the Przeworsk culture in the Late Roman period.

Bloomery iron production in the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland) area during the Roman period: conditions during the metallurgical process and their uniformity between locations

“…In the case of iron metallurgy, isotope ratios may be disturbed due to the addition of C from another source in the production process. By using siderite ores (FeCO 3 ) or fluxes in the form of calcite (CaCO 3 ), carbon with an isotopic age exceeding 10,000 years could be introduced into the metallurgical Table 3 Summary of the conditions prevailing during the formation of the analyzed slags charge [36,37]. However, the analyzed slags contain only up to 2.47% CaO, proving that no calcite was added as a flux.…”

“…In Lower Silesia (Poland), the first traces of metallurgical activity date back to the third-first century BC [42]. Dating of iron objects from Nowe Brzesko (Lesser Poland Voivodeship) gave an age in the range of 217-412 AD [37].…”