This project seeks a better understanding of the smelting technologies performed in Pre and Proto-History to obtain bronze. Focus is on the obtainance of tin, and on the exploitation of local/NW Iberian sources.

Work is being developed in the framework of a Postdoctoral fellowship by Elin Figueiredo, with national and international collaborations.

FCT postdoctoral fellowship SFRH/BPD/97360/2013

Publications and presentations

E. Figueiredo, A. Lackinger, B. Comendador Rey, R.J.C. Silva, J.P. Veiga, J. Mirão. An experimental approach for smelting tin ores from Northwestern Iberia, Materials and Manufacturing Processes, DOI 10.1080/10426914.2016.1244837

B. Comendador Rey, E. Meunier, E. Figueiredo, A. Lackinger, J. Fonte, C. Fernández Fernández, A. Lima, J. Mirão, R. J.C. Silva, Northwest Iberian tin mining from Bronze Age to Modern times: an overview, Conference ‘Celebrating the tinworking Landscape of Dartmoor in its European context: Prehistory to 20^th century’, 6-11 May 2016, Tavistock, England, oral presentation by invitation.

B. Comendador, E. Figueiredo, J. Fonte, E. Meunier, La primera minería y metalurgia del estaño en la Península Ibérica: Aportaciones al estado de la cuestión / The first mining and metallurgy of tin in the Iberian Peninsula: contributions to the state of art. In Mata-Perelló, J.M., Hunt Ortiz, M.A., Orche Garcia, E. (Eds.), Património geológico y mineiro: de la investigación al la difusión. Actas del XV Congreso Internacional sobre Patrimonio Geológico y Minero, Logrosán (Cáceres, España), SEDPGYM y Ayuntamiento de Logrosán, 2015, pp. 21-39. (ISBN 978-84-693-1675-7)

A. Lackinger, C.I. Fernández, B. Comendador, E. Figueiredo, R.J.C. Silva, Sacar el estaño de las piedras: un procedimento artesanal para la obtención de estaño en la Galicia Meridional, VII Congreso de Mineria e Metalugia Antiguas en el Sudoeste Europeo, Granada, Spain, 28-29 Junio 2014, oral presentation.

A. Lackinger, B. Comendador, E. Figueiredo, M.F. Araújo, R.J.C. Silva, S. Rovira, (2013) Copper plus Tin plus People – Co-smelting experimentation in northwestern Iberia, EXARC Journal, Proceedings of the 7th Experimental Archaeology Conference, Cardiff (Wales).

B. Comendador Rey, A. Lackinger, E. Figueiredo, Learning To Recreate, Recreating To Learn. Teaching Experimental Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology Conference EAC10, Leiden (NL), 20-22 April 2017, accepted for oral presentation.

E. Figueiredo, B. Comendador Rey, J. Fonte, E. Meunier, A. Lackinger, R.J.C. Silva, J.P. Veiga, C. Bottaini, J. Mirão, A. Lima, Estanho antigo no Noroeste Peninsular: uma abordagem multidisciplinar e transfronteiriça para o estabelecimento de uma visão integrada, XI Congresso Ibérico de Arqueometria, Évora, 14-16 Out. 2015, oral presentation.

A. Lackinger, E. Figueiredo, B. Comendador, R.J.C. Silva, J. Mirão, An Experimental approach for smelting tin ores from Northwestern Iberia, Archaeometallurgy in Europe IV, Madrid, 3-6 June 2015, oral presentation.

B. Comendador Rey, E. Figueiredo, Arqueología experimental y arqueometría aplicada al estudio del estaño en la metalurgia prehistórica del Noroeste Peninsular, II Jornadas de Arqueometría en Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, 2 Oct. 2015, oral presentation by invitation.

J. Fonte, E. Figueiredo, Beatriz Comendador Rey, A. Lackinger, C. Fernández Fernández, E. Meunier, La primera minería y metalurgia del estaño en la Península Ibérica, XV Congreso Internacional sobre Patrimonio Geológico y Minero, Logrosán, Cáceres, 25-28 Sept 2014, oral presentation by invitiation.

B. Comendador Rey, F. González Ínsua, A. Lackinger, C. Fernández, J. Fonte, E. Figueiredo, Estaño e paisaxes da auga no Noroeste Peninsular, Paisaxes Culturais da Auga, Semana do Campus da Auga, Fórum Internacional de Innovación sobre el Agua (17-22 Marzo), Ourense, 20 March 2014, oral presentation by invitation.

E. Figueiredo, Copper and tin for artefact production: issues around bronze composition and production in Late Bronze Age Central Portugal, L’étain dans l’occident ancient, Toulouse, France, 14-16 Septembre 2011, oral presentation by invitation.

D. Berger, G. Brügmann, E. Figueiredo, E. Pernicka, Tin isotope fractionation during cassiterite smelting and its implication for tracing the tin sources of the Bronze Age, 41^st International Symposium on Archaeometry (ISA), 15-21 May 2016, Kalamata, Greece, poster presentation.

E. Figueiredo, R.J.C. Silva, B. Comendador Rey, J. Mirão, From ores to metal: investigating ancient bronze production, V Anual Meeting i3N, Aveiro, Portugal, 10-11 April 2015, poster presentation.