Jean Milot

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Kristina A Franke

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Charlotte Marie Cable

Michigan State University

Sandrine Baron

University of Toulouse

Marie-Pierre COUSTURES

University of Toulouse

Didier Beziat

Université Paul Sabatier de Toulouse

Gaspard Pagès

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / French National Centre for Scientific Research

Sylvain Bauvais

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / French National Centre for Scientific Research

Horst R Marschall

Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main

Mustapha Souhassou

IBN ZOHR UNIVERSITY

Velasquez German

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Papers by Jean Milot

Ancient Iron Metals Tracing by Iron Isotopes Analysis

Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe - HAL - IRD - Institut de recherche pour le développement, 2016

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Ancient metals tracing by iron isotopes analysis

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Preliminary petrographic analyses of ancient slags of lead-silver metallurgy (Imiter Mine, Morocco)

International Conference of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists, Jul 14, 2014

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Les isotopes du fer pour le traçage des métaux anciens comparaison avec les méthodes de traçage classiques

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Investigating the provenance of iron bars from Les Saintes‐Maries‐de‐la‐Mer Roman shipwrecks (south‐east France) with iron isotopes

Archaeometry, 2021

Fe isotopes were used to determine the origin of iron bars from Les Saintes-Maries-de-laMer Roman... more Fe isotopes were used to determine the origin of iron bars from Les Saintes-Maries-de-laMer Roman shipwrecks, which was a major archaeological finding at the end of the 20th century in France. Their Fe isotope composition was measured by multi collectorinductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) after chemical Fe purification. The results allowed us to suggest provenances that were compared with those based on trace element analyses of slag inclusions. For most of the bars, we validate the provenance hypotheses previously proposed. Two bar groups originate from the Montagne Noire metallurgical district (south-west France), whereas a third group comes from another source, not clearly identified so far. In this context of Roman iron production, we argue for a non-spatially segmented production, where bars were manufactured close to smelting sites. Combined trace element and Fe isotope analyses on the same objects provide crucial information about the nature of their ore source. The elemental heterogeneity, positive Eu anomaly and Fe isotopic homogeneity of several bars were inherited from gossan-type ores, whereas the negative Eu anomaly and variable Fe isotopes signature of others most likely correspond to sedimentary iron ores. This study demonstrates that combined trace element and Fe isotopes analyses in a well-defined archaeological context is a promising approach for provenance studies of iron metals of archaeological interest.

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A miner's perspective on Pb isotope provenances in the Western and Central Mediterranean

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2020

The conventional approach to ore provenance studies of ancient silver coins and artifacts has bee... more The conventional approach to ore provenance studies of ancient silver coins and artifacts has been to first analyze and then try to match them to published data about mining districts, a difficult task given our incomplete knowledge of these. While literary sources are useful to identify possible provenances, they potentially bias interpretations proper because of a variety of limitations of their time. Archeological evidence in the form of mining shafts, galleries, spoil heaps, and tools also provides a tangible and reliable record of mining, but dating such activity can be problematic and the record is inconsistent. Here we propose a new approach driven by Pb isotopic data rather than numismatic groups. Statistical analysis of Pb isotopic data is used to identify ore-defined isotopic clusters. This new method is based on an algorithm that predicts the number of isotopic clusters necessary to fulfill the simple condition that variance within isotopic clusters is minimized whereas inter-cluster variance is maximized. Since each cluster reflects a discrete geological episode within a particular environment broadly datable to a specific Pb model age, it can be identified as a potential source exploited by ancient miners. We explore the potential of this method in two examples using data from coins and ores respectively. In the first example, Roman Republican silver coins form three 'end-member' clusters sourced in mining districts with Cenozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic Pb model ages. The example demonstrates how sources of silver used to mint coinage of the Roman Republic shifted within 50 years of the end of the Second Punic War in 201 BCE. In the second example using Aegean galena samples, Pb isotopes distinguish components with model ages datable to the Hercynian basement, the recent Aegean tectonic province, and Cyprus, noting that significant silver mining districts may remain unidentified in either Spain or the Aegean world. We further clarify a number of potential analytical issues and advocate that users of Pb isotopes for tracing archeological artifacts measure all four lead isotopes and inspect the 12 proposed isotope combinations in order to select those that provide the best representation of the data. We also emphasize that full advantage should be taken of the geologically informed parameters (model age and Th/U/Pb relationships) to identify the geological context of metal sources.

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Potential use of Fe isotopes for ancient non-ferrous metals tracing through the example of a lead-silver production site (Imiter mine, Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2018

Determining the provenance of non-ferrous metals is a major issue in archaeology and history. The... more Determining the provenance of non-ferrous metals is a major issue in archaeology and history. The classical method using Pb isotopes shows several limitations, and new isotopic tracers need to be developed in archaeometallurgy. Recently, Fe isotopes were found to be promising for iron metal tracing. In this context, we evaluated the pertinence of Fe isotopes as a new tool for provenance studies of non-ferrous metals. We collected slag and furnace lining samples from the Imiter silver mine in Morocco (Anti-Atlas), where many archaeological remains attest ancient lead-silver production. Their mineralogical composition was investigated by optical microscopic observations, SEM-EDS and EPMA. Besides, we measured both Pb and Fe isotope compositions of these samples by high resolution MC-ICP-MS after wet sample decomposition and purification chemistry. The occurrence of Ag, Pb, Cu and Ag/Pb metallic beads in the slag samples and their high Fe content suggests that these metallurgical materials result from the exploitation of Ag-rich polymetallic ores associated with gossan formations. Isotopic analyses of these slags highlighted their heterogeneous Pb isotope compositions and homogeneous Fe isotope composition. This points to the exploitation of two distinct ore sources with different Pb but similar Fe isotope compositions, despite the Fe isotope variability often encountered in metallic ores worldwide. Hence, Fe isotopes provide a complementary approach to trace lead-silver products from Imiter. Overall, the combination of Pb and Fe isotope analyses constitutes a promising method for further provenance investigations of nonferrous metals.

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The Urgonian chert from Provence (France): the intra-formation variability and its exploitation in petro-archeological investigations

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2017

Understanding details of stone tool procurement and transfers is for a major research avenue in i... more Understanding details of stone tool procurement and transfers is for a major research avenue in improving our knowledge about prehistoric societies. The accuracy of the provisioning sources identifications is based on the establishment of large regional repositories. Recent studies show that specific investigations on the evolution of cherts were effective in distinguishing primary sources from the various secondary sources of a raw material. In this paper, we focus on another difficulty that is the distinction between different primary sources of the same geological layers. We consider the specific case of the Bedoulian cherts from southeastern France. This chert was exploited and circulated over large distances during the whole prehistoric record. It is particularly known to have been heat-treated during Late Chassey culture (Neolithic). We show in this paper that paleogeographical variability exists due to variations in the bioclastic and detrital components. With the support of foraminifera data, the granulometry of detrital quartz grain provides the possibility to distinguish between different primary sources. A first test in archeological contexts illustrates the efficiency of the method as well as indicates major changes in provisioning practices between upper Paleolithic and Neolithic groups.

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Iron isotopes as a potential tool for ancient iron metals tracing

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2016

Abstract Provenance studies of iron artefacts have become an important topic in archaeology to be... more Abstract Provenance studies of iron artefacts have become an important topic in archaeology to better understand the socio-economic organization of ancient societies. Elemental and isotopic tracing methods used so far for iron metal provenance studies showed some limitations, and the development of new additional tracers are needed. Since the last decade, the rise of cutting edge analytical techniques allows for the development of new isotopic tools for this purpose. The present study explores for the first time the use of iron isotopes analyses as a potential method for ancient iron metal tracing. Ore, slag and metal samples from two experimental reconstitutions of iron ore reduction by bloomery process were collected. Their Fe isotope compositions were measured by Multi Collector – Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) to assess the possible impact of smelting on the Fe isotope composition of the metal produced. Our results show that the iron isotope compositions of the slag and metal are for 8 out of 9 samples analyzed undistinguishable from that of the starting ores. This suggests that overall, no significant Fe isotope fractionation occurs along the chaine operatoire of iron bars production, even if slight isotopic differences might be found in blooms before refinement. This fact, combined with the natural isotopic variability of iron ores, as reported in the literature, may allow the use of Fe isotopes as a relevant tracer for archaeological iron metals. This new tracing approach offers many perspectives for provenance studies. The combination of elemental and Fe isotope analyses should thus be useful to validate origin hypotheses of ancient iron artefacts.