Field experiments in copper smelting were carried out in order to test assumptions about the copper production processes employed at the Vilabouly Complex (VC), an Iron Age extraction and production site in central Laos. VC is one of only three primary production sites known in Southeast Asia and appears to be a major copper production and mining locale. Analytical results on the VC assemblage (ores, crucibles, slag fragments and copper alloy objects), along with the geological information, allowed us to generate hypotheses on the smelting process. The identification of macroscopic layers of matte associated with copper suggests the introduction of sulfidic ores during the process. Co-smelting with carbonate ores (likely malachite) and a secondary copper sulfide, chalcocite (Cu₂S), seemed to be most likely. Therefore, experimental reconstructions were performed to test this co-smelting of malachite with chalcocite in a one step-process using crucibles based on the archaeological examples as reaction vessels. The experiments produced matte, of different compositions according to the charge used, along with metallic copper and slag. The ratio (1:1) of malachite/chalcocite resulted in products comparable to the Vilabouly Complex evidence and thus strengthens the hypothesis.

为了测试关于在老挝中部铁器时代的开采和生产基地Vilabouly Complex（VC）所使用的铜生产工艺的假设，进行了铜冶炼的现场实验。VC是东南亚仅有的三个主要生产基地之一，并且似乎是主要的铜生产和采矿场所。有关VC组合（矿石，坩埚，炉渣碎片和铜合金物体）的分析结果以及地质信息，使我们能够对冶炼过程产生假设。与铜相关的粗面宏观层的鉴定表明在该过程中引入了硫化矿石。与碳酸盐矿石（可能是孔雀石）和次生硫化铜，黄铜矿（Cu ₂S），似乎最有可能。因此，进行了实验重建，以基于考古实例的坩埚作为反应容器，一步一步地测试了孔雀石与辉绿岩的这种共熔。根据所使用的装料，实验产生了不同成分的哑光，以及金属铜和矿渣。孔雀石/辉绿岩的比例（1：1）产生的产品可与Vilabouly Complex证据相提并论，从而加强了这一假设。