Prehistoric and classical lead-silver metallurgy at Ari / Attika

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Hans Lohmann (†)
• Subject Area: Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology
• Term: from 2013 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 241375810

As the Laurion Conference in Bochum in November 2019 has shown, the project "Prehistoric and Classical Lead-Silver Mining in Ari / Attica" has already succeeded in giving new impetus to Laurion research. With Ari, a small but representative section of the Laurion of approx. 6 km² was completely documented and also mapped in geological detail for the first time as an example. With the analyses of archaeometallurgical objects from the ergasterion Ari 63, new insights into the chaîne opératoire during the processing of the lead-silver ores up to their smelting will be gained by means of scientific analyses. The Greek authorities have carried out an unknown number of excavations in the Laurion over the last five decades, none of which can be considered 'published' by scientific standards. While the Ari survey and the excavation in Ari 63, together with the evaluation of the old excavations by K. Tsaïmou in Ari by S. Nomicos, will lead to this mining district being the best researched in the entire Laurion in the future, the evaluation of the old excavation in the power station complex of Thorikos by F. Hulek gives completely new insights into the situation in the Laurion in Hellenistic times.Our knowledge of the conditions underground is still insufficient. Mine plans by the Saxon geologist Baldauf were lost during the Second World War, mine plans by the French mining company (CFML) lie unorganised and largely inaccessible in the archives of the Technologiko Parko in Lavrio. Thanks to the collaboration of Prof. Dr. D. Morin (Université de Lorraine, Nancy) and his team, the largest gallery in Ari was examined, measured and sampled in detail in 2016. The evaluation of the samples is in the hands of Prof. Dr. P. Voudouris from the National Kapodistrias University of Athens. D. Morin and his team have thus already made a fundamental contribution to ancient mining in Ari - apart from their other highly meritorious research in the Laurion. At the same time, they have also significantly supported the new detailed geological mapping of Ari by A. Fotiadis.The successful cooperation is to be continued in 2022 and at least one further gallery is to be investigated mining-archaeologically. The Ari 63J gallery, which probably supplied the immediately adjacent Ergasterion Ari 63A, would be a good candidate for this.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Dr. Frank Hulek; Dr. Sophia Nomicos