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MINERALOGY OF MEDIEVAL SLAGS FROM LEAD AND SILVER SMELTING (BOHUTÍN, PŘÍBRAM DISTRICT, CZECH REPUBLIC): TOWARDS ESTIMATION OF HISTORICAL SMELTING CONDITIONS*
Author(s) -
ETTLER V.,
ČERVINKA R.,
JOHAN Z.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4754.2008.00455.x
Subject(s) - fayalite , slag (welding) , smelting , metallurgy , mineralogy , olivine , geology , materials science
Slags from the Pb/Ag medieval (14th century) smelting plant located at Bohutín, Příbram district, Czech Republic, were studied from the mineralogical and geochemical points of view. Two types of slags were distinguished: (i) quenched slags formed mainly by Pb‐rich glass and unmelted residual grains of SiO 2 and feldspars, and (ii) crystallized slags mainly composed of Fe‐rich olivine (fayalite) and glass. The mean log viscosity value of the slags calculated for 1200°C was 2.119 Pa s. The morphology of olivine crystals was used to estimate the cooling rates of the melt, for some slags indicating rates > 1450°C/h. The projection of the bulk composition of slags onto the SiO 2 –PbO–FeO ternary system was used for rough temperature estimates of slag formation, lying probably between 800 and 1200°C.