Université de Fribourg

How mineralogy and geochemistry can improve the significance of Pb isotopes in metal provenance studies

Baron, S. ; Tămaş, Calin-Gabriel ; Carlier, C. Le

In: Archaeometry, 2014, vol. 56, no. 4, p. 665–680

Lead isotopes combined with trace element data represent a powerful tool for non-ferrous metal provenance studies. Nevertheless, unconsidered geological factors and archaeological data, as well as ignored analytical procedures, may substantially modify the interpretation of the isotopic and trace element signature obtained as a potential ore candidate. Three archaeological examples, accompanied...

Université de Fribourg

Lead isotope analyses of gold–silver ores from Roşia Montană (Romania): a first step of a metal provenance study of Roman mining activity in Alburnus Maior (Roman Dacia)

Baron, S. ; Tămaş, Calin-Gabriel ; Cauuet, B. ; Munoz, M.

In: Journal of Archaeological Science, 2011, vol. 38, no. 5, p. 1090-1100

The Roşia Montană ore deposit (Apuseni Mountains, Romania) is Europe’s largest Au–Ag deposit. It also corresponds to the Roman Alburnus Maior mining site, known by historians and archaeologists due to the discovery of dozens of Roman wooden wax tablets during the underground works carried out during the 18th and 19th centuries.The present geochemical research is based on a detailed...