Archaeological investigations of the Colline Metallifere district (Southern Tuscany, Italy) have highlighted several Medieval sites located close to the main Cu-Pb-Fe (Ag) ore occurrences. This study is focused on the investigation of late-medieval slags from Cugnano and Montieri sites using both geochemical and mineralogical methods to understand slag heterogeneities as result of ore differences and technological processes. Matte-rich slags present in both sites (with abundant matte ± speiss and frequent relict phases) represent waste products related to primary sulphide ore smelting to obtain a raw lead bullion. The distribution of slags between the Ca-rich or Fe-rich dominant composition, and the consequent mineralogy, are tracers of the different ore–gangue association that occurred in the two sites. Silver is present only in very small matte-rich slags and ores enclosed within the mortar of the Montieri site; wastes derived from silver-rich mineral charges were probably crushed for the recovery of silver. Matte-poor slags found at Montieri represent a second smelting; raw lead bullion obtained from matte slags (both Fe- and Ca-rich) was probably re-smelted, adding silica and Al₂O₃-phase-rich fluxes, under more oxidizing conditions to reduce metal impurities. This second step was probably employed for Zn-rich lead ores; this process helped to segregate zinc within slags and improve the quality of the metal.

中文翻译：

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Colline Metallifere区（意大利托斯卡纳）的中世纪Pb（Cu-Ag）冶炼：矿渣异质性作为矿石来源和工艺过程的示踪剂

对Colline Metallifere区（意大利南部的托斯卡纳）的考古调查表明，一些中世纪遗址位于主要的Cu-Pb-Fe（Ag）矿产附近。这项研究的重点是利用地球化学和矿物学方法研究Cugnano和Montieri站点的中世纪晚期炉渣，以了解由于矿石差异和工艺过程而导致的炉渣异质性。在两个站点中都存在的富雾矿渣（具有大量的无光泽的speiss和频繁的残渣相）代表了与初级硫化矿石冶炼以获得原始铅锭有关的废物。富含Ca或Fe的主要成分与随后的矿物学之间的矿渣分布是这两个地点发生的不同矿石-煤ue石关联的示踪剂。银仅存在于蒙提里场址的砂浆内封闭的很小的，富含亚光的矿渣和矿石中。来自富含银的矿物装料产生的废物可能被粉碎以回收银。在蒙蒂埃里发现的无光渣是第二次冶炼。从磨砂矿渣（富含铁和钙）中获得的未加工的金条可能已被重新冶炼，添加了二氧化硅和铝₂ O ₃相富集的焊剂，在更多的氧化条件下可减少金属杂质。第二步可能用于富锌铅矿石。此过程有助于将锌隔离在炉渣中并改善金属质量。