Research on ancient metals
The research carried on in Fribourg cover all aspects of the metallurgical process, from mining to the manufacturing of finished objects, with a particular emphasis on the ancient metallurgy of iron. Current work is focusing on the analysis of metallurgical residues, in particular slags from ore reduction sites or from smithing workshops. The aim is, of course, to understand the underlying technology, but also to give the archaeologists clues that could lead to a better comprehension of archaeological evidence. Besides of studies of swiss and european material, recent research is also being developped in Mali.Another current research project is focussing on silver mining in Wallis and the provenance of silver objects from several archaeological collections.