- Claudio Giardino –
a large jar of impasto in the fi rst decades of the seventh century bc and contained about
14,800 pieces, weighing over 1,400 kg in total (Zannoni 1888) (Fig. 37.8). The analyses
of the ingots contained within it indicate that these were normally made up of copper
nearly free of impurities (Antonacci Sanpaolo et al. 1992: 164–166; Bietti Sestieri et al.
2002: 679), intended for alloying with tin or to be added during the recasting of bronze
scraps.
For the Villanovan period, certainly the clearest evidence of metallurgical activities is
offered from Bologna where in the Iron Age settlement there were areas with installations
for the metal working. A tuyere, crucibles and slag come from these areas (Taglioni 1999:
51–52, 100, 182); these pieces of evidence are in addition to the San Francesco hoard,
that contained ingots, waste and casting residues. The analyses carried out by X-ray
fl uorescence (ED-XRF) on copper residues still adhering to the inside of the crucible
found in Via Indipendenza demonstrate how it was used in casting operations (Fig.
37.9): in fact, the metal was an alloy of copper and tin, with the presence of lead. Other
workshops were also located near Bologna, such as Castenaso (Forte 1994: 195, 198)
and Casalecchio (Peyre 1968: 376–377). Apart from the Bolognese region, traces of
Villanovan metallurgical activities have also been reported from other centers of Etruria,
such as Verucchio (Gentili 1986), Monfestino (Modena), and Monte Pezzola (Reggio
Emilia) (Vitali 1983: 163; Moretto 1995: 68–69).
Figure 37.8 Materials from the hoard of San Francesco, Bologna
(courtesy of the Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna).Figure 37.9 Crucible from the Villanovan village of Bologna – Via Indipendenza
(courtesy of the Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna).