An investigation on the "Etruscan" iron furnaces from Baratti-Populonia (Tuscany, Italy)

Abstract

In this paper we present new data on metallurgical furnaces employed for iron smelting at Populonia-Baratti (Tuscany, Italy) in the second half of Ist Millennium BC (presumably by the Etruscans). Due to past century reworking of metallurgical wastes, the chances to find well-preserved furnaces are definitely low. In most cases broken fragments of vitrified sandstones and burnt clay, either or not mingled with iron slags, are the only evidences we have of ancient metallurgical activity. We have analysed in detail the mineralogical, textural and compositional features of a selected number of burnt clay (furnace) fragments. Moreover, in order to establish the provenance of raw clays used for furnace building, samples of the terrigenous Canetolo Formation – occurring in large outcrops in the Baratti plain – have been taken as well, and compared with burnt furnace clays. We finally propose a reconstruction of a “Baratti-type” iron smelting furnace based on our data.

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