The Origin and Archaeometallurgy of a Mixed Sulphide Ore for Copper Production on the Island of Kea, Aegean Sea, Greece

At the hill of Agios Symeon, on the island of Kea, A egean S ea, G reece, ancient metallurgical slags with a high P b– Z n– C u content have been found. Thermodynamic simulations have been carried out, using the F act S age™ thermodynamic database computing system, with a view to understanding the ancient metallurgical processes that produced the observed slag compositions and morphologies. The simulations demonstrate that the slag samples resulted from C u‐making processes. It would thus appear that mixed ores were used, containing Cu 2 S– FeS – PbS with significant amounts of sphalerite (ZnS) as impurity. The roasted ores were reduced at relatively high oxygen potentials at ∼1125° C to form C u containing low levels of P b, F e and Z n.