Medieval lead making on Mont-Lozere Massif (Cevennes-France): Tracing ore sources using Pb isotopes

摘要

This study aims to document the origin of metallurgical activities on the Mont-Lozere Massif (Cevennes Mountains, South of Massif Central, France), which is the largest medieval site of Pb-Ag metallurgical activities in France. These activities are characterised by more than 70 sites comprising numerous dispersed slags. Related charcoal samples dated by C-14 have yielded a medieval, ca. XI-XII th. C. age. Numerous ore deposits, now mostly old mine tailings, surround the granitic massif and are possible candidates for suppliers of the old smelting activities. In Western Europe, Pb-Ag mines were of primordial importance for the medieval monetary system. Mines were intensively coveted by Lords, Bishops and Kings, and their exploitation was strictly regulated by each owner. The scarcity of ancient manuscripts makes it impossible to use a historical approach to determine the ore source regions related to a given metallurgical activity.