Middle Bronze Age metalworking in the cave of Monte Meana (South-western Sardinia, Italy)

A metalwork station and a metal artifacts were found in 2012 during the excavation of a south western Sardinia cave, in Italy. Numerous charcoals, smelting slags and a dagger, coming from a probable bowl furnace, were found. These remains are typologically related to the middle bronze age manufacturing, as confirmed by 14C date. To reconstruct the ancient metallurgical technology, an archaeometric study was performed by chemical (pXRF, ICP-OES) and mineralogical (PXRD, microscopy) techniques. The results showed that all finds are made primarily of Cu, Fe and Pb with Ca, Zn, As and Mg traces while S is present only in the slags. The main part of these analytes is due to the mineral charge. Microscopic analyses show gangue fragments and minerals comparable to the ones noticed in the mixed sulphides ores close to the cave. PXRD patterns and polarizing microscopy indicate metallurgical temperatures ranging from 600-700°C to 1100°C.