Scrutinizing copper and bronze slag on Gotland : On the making and dismantling of a category of archaeometallurgical finds

• The aim of this paper is to introduce a relatively unknown and sadly misinterpreted type of archaeological find. Finds of copper and bronze slag have been reported at various settlements on Gotland since the 1930s at least, and from early on this slag was provided with a legend of its own – that it was derived from a little-known local industry producing copper. During the last 30 years the number of finds of this type has risen considerably due to the organized use of metal detectors for investigating ploughed-over settlements. Contrary to the earlier assumptions, examination of a number of these finds has shown that they are by no means slag but fragments of refractorised hearth lining from ploughed-over workshop areas. Rather than copper production, they point to other disciplines associated with non-ferrous metalworking – presumably casting.

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Arkeologi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- Archaeology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Bronze slag

Copper slag

Gotland

Iron Age

Non-ferrous metalworking

Casting

Metal detection

Archaeometallurgy

Bronsslagg

Kopparslagg

Gotland

Järnålder

Icke-järnhantverk

Gjutning

Arkeometallurgi

Archaeological Science

laborativ arkeologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)