TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES IN MINING AND METALLURGY FROM ROMAN TO MEDIEVAL TIMES: EVIDENCE FROM A PB-AG (-CU) ORE DISTRICT IN CENTRAL KOSOVO

摘要

A joint project of the Deutsches Bergbau-Mu-seum Bochum, the Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt and the Archaeological Institute of Kosovo investigates ancient mining and metal production in the hinterland of the municipium Ulpiana in central Kosovo. A combination of mining archaeological and geochemical methods (i.e. geophysical-based surveys, drilling, excavations and (in situ) chemical and phase analysis) has been applied to reconstruct chronology-dependent technological and organizational structures. Within the study area, an ancient mining district with remains of numerous old workings, as well as several smelting sites with a preliminary Roman/ late antique to medieval/early modern dating were located. Based on either the occurrence or absence of the by-products matte and speiss, two distinguishable process schemes corresponding to smelting of different ore types were found for the periods of Roman/late antique and medieval/ early modern metallurgy respectively.