Thomas Stöllner and Mark Pearce: Welding a New Approach to the Studies of Ancient Metals: Part 1, p. 3

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Two communities have emerged in archaeometallurgy: the archaeologists, largely educated in the humanities, and the material scientists. Killick (2015; Pearce, 2016) has illustrated the non-communication and mutual lack of interest in the debates between the two traditions, one focused on the social and symbolic aspects of metalwork, the other interested in techniques of analysis and chemical and mineralogical processes. This session aims to build bridges the two approaches, encouraging collaborative research goals, and thereby to fuse the two in a new understanding.

Archaeometallurgists have their own conferences and journals, so that archaeometallurgical articles rarely appear in mainstream journals, and sessions at general archaeological congresses, like the EAA, are often dominated by discussion of technique rather than the contribution of archaeometric data to the resolving specific archaeological problems.
Such sessions are often deserted by the generalist archaeologists who are not interested in technical problems. Cultural archaeologists are also to blame for this situation, especially because too few really have the specific skills (especially statistical) to use archaeometallurgical data, or an understanding of what specific analytical techniques can and crucially cannot tell us. We welcome papers from either tradition, that attempt to bridge the divide by discussing the problems
inherent in combining the traditions or that interpret archaeometrical data within a framework of archaeological data and hypotheses.

• Alžběta Danielisová, Ladislav Strnad and Martin Mihaljevič: Circulation Patterns of Copper-Based Alloys in the Late Iron Age Oppidum of Třísov in Central Europe, pp. 5-18
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• This article presents an insight into the sourcing and circulation of copper alloys during the Late La Tène period in Central Europe where the specialised production of metals is regarded as complex and conducted chiefly within the bounds of the oppida. Contrary to the logical, though not necessarily data-based, assumption that local raw materials for the production of bronze were mostly used from the local primary deposits, we argue that an advanced and complex economy of Late Iron Age allowed for the steady and consistent material supply even from distant areas and that such pattern was possibly commonly practised by the oppida sites. Concurrently, we do not argue against the possibility of the exploitation and processing of the locally mined metal, we only point out that in provenance studies the evidence for that is yet difficult to find. We back our hypothesis by archaeometric analysis of the assemblage of bronze objects from the oppidum of Třísov (Czech Republic) collected during the long-term investigations of this site. The selection of objects for analyses covers the spectrum from the local products to potentially imported items. A provenance study based on the analysis of lead isotopes and chemical composition has shown rather homogeneous pattern of lead isotopic values and, on the contrary, quite a variability among the chemical composition of the
  individual artefact groups suggesting thus 1) standardised technological procedures for individual types of objects, 2) common recycling of the materials used and/or 3) contamination of low-leaded alloys from highly leaded bronzes.
  Keywords: Late Iron Age, oppida, copper alloys, provenance, lead isotopes

• Tal Kan-Cipor-Meron, Sana Shilstein, Yosi Levi and Sariel Shalev: Type, Shape and Composition: The Middle Bronze Age II Daggers in Rishon le-Zion, Israel, pp. 19-31
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• A rich assemblage of Middle Bronze Age II daggers from the Rishon le-Zion excavations in Israel was studied.
  These daggers were found to be made of tin-bronze, arsenical copper or copper with tin and arsenic. Relations
  between type, shape and composition are established, showing that greater control of composition and shape
  are directly related to the production of more stylish decorated objects.
• Keywords: Israel, Archaeometallurgy, Middle Bronze Age, Daggers, XRF, Arsenical Copper, Tin Bronze

• Peter Rothenhöfer, Michael Bode and Norbert Hanel: Metallum Messallini – A New Roman Lead Ingot from the Danube Provinces, pp. 33-38
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• A Roman lead ingot with the mould mark metallo Messallini provides highly interesting insight into the economic side of power politics pursued by the first Roman emperor Augustus. The proprietor of the mine, Messallinus, can be identified with Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus, consul in 3 BC and governor of Illyricum in AD 6. At the beginning of the Illyrian revolt in AD 6 he achieved important victories over the insurgent tribes. The mines were likely a gift from Augustus (who owned mines in that region) to Messallinus for his deeds. The shape of the panel and the inscription on the ingot as well as lead isotope analysis suggest an origin in the ore regions of Serbia and the Kosovo. According to the isotope comparison, the mines were located in the district of today’s Novo Brdo in eastern Kosovo.
• Keywords: Roman lead ingot, mines, senatorial property, M. Valerius Messalla Messallinus, Illyricum, Latin epigraphy, lead isotope analysis, provenance studies, Novo Brdo/Kosovo

• Lorna Anguilano, Giovanni Piredda, Cinzia Saba, Danny Aryani, Laura Marras and Elisa Grassi: Working Together and Learning Together: The Study of the Metallurgical Remains of San Tommaso, Pavia, Italy, pp. 39-47
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• The metallurgical remains of San Tommaso, Pavia were used as teaching collections for a multi-disciplinary
  archaeometallurgy class held by the first time in the academic year 2016/2017 at the University of Sassari.
  This paper, written by the lecturing academic, the academic advisor, and some of the students attending the course, wants to bring to the archaeometallurgical community some of the observations and reflexions on this teaching and learning experience. The varied metallurgical assemblage recovered from the excavation
  in 2013 of the Monastery of San Tommaso (Pavia) is a very useful teaching tool. In all, 23 samples were analysed and are presented in this paper from at least six different metallurgical processes: cupellation, silver recovery, iron making (by the direct and indirect method), copper alloying and casting. This variety also poses more complex questions for the archaeological/historical re-contextualisation of the findings which require a strong interaction between archaeologists and scientists in order to ensure the “Pavia”most plausible reconstruction of events. In particular, we aim at introducing the importance of different perspectives in “questioning” the materials and in turn the scientific results. While presenting the results of the archaeometric investigations the main aim of the paper is to introduce the idea of the importance of multi-disciplinary teaching in archaeometry, more specifically in archaeometallurgy, early on in the academic development (master or even undergraduate) instead of being the result of research at a later stage (PhD or even post-doc). The experience here presented, shows that differences in languages and perspectives and peer-to-peer teaching offers an enhanced learning tool.
• Keywords: Multi-disciplinary classes; teaching multidisciplinarily; multi-disciplinarity in archaeometallurgy

• Benjamin Sabatini and Marianne Mödlinger: Identity and Publishing in Archaeometallurgy, pp. 49-62
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• This paper covers aspect of the gender, education, and current profession of individuals engaged in archaeometallurgy from an anonymous questionnaire submitted by the authors to the ARCH-METALS LISTSERV. While the questionnaire itself was answered by only a fraction of the total list members, and likely excludes a portion that do not subscribe, we believe those that responded are some of the most active individuals in the field and it therefore has value as the first self-reflexive poll of its kind. It allowed the authors to obtain anonymous information regarding the academic training of practicing archaeometallurgists, and aspects of the review and paper publication preferences in the field. Recommendations for improving publishing and review speed are also discussed based on the questionnaire results and current review literature.
• Keywords: Publication Strategy, Archaeology, Archaeometry, Interdisciplinary, Peer-Review, Scientific Outreach