ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Copper ingots and metallurgical practices in Etruscan central Italy: a neutron-based study of ?Aes Rude? from Gonfienti and Fiesole (Italy)

Abstract: This work focuses on the study of aes rude ingots, prior than artefacts analysis, from coeval Etruscan sites located in Tuscany (Italy): Gonfienti, a centre of metallurgical production near Prato, and the votive deposit of Villa Marchi at Fiesole. We propose to analyse a subset of 25 ingots from Gonfienti and 10 ingots from Fiesole through ToF-ND and NRCA on INES, to obtain quantitative metallurgical information on the composite structure of these artefacts (metal composition, quantification of mineralization phases, copper alloy domain size and texture). The study of ancient metallurgical process, from ore selection and smelting to casting and manufacture, is essential to understand the level of technological expertise achieved by ancient societies. In central Italy, the Etruscan period (between the VI and the III century BC) represents a key phase in the development of copper and bronze metallurgy. Ingots provide evidence of ore sources selection, smelting conditions, and degrees of refinement. The parallel and comparative study of ingots from a production context (Gonfienti) and a ritual context (Villa Marchi) makes it possible to explore local technological practices and the social value of raw metal in different Etruscan settings.

Principal Investigator: Ms Caterina Lupi
Experimenter: Dr Arianna Vernillo
Experimenter: Professor Paolo Piccardo
Experimenter: Dr Francesco Grazzi
Experimenter: Dr Francesco Cantini
Experimenter: Professor Roberto Spotorno
Local Contact: Dr Antonella Scherillo
Experimenter: Mrs Matilde Pedemonte
Experimenter: Dr Pasquino Pallecchi
Experimenter: Miss Camilla Criaco
Experimenter: Dr Michele Bueno

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2600017

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2600017

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Ms Caterina Lupi et al; (2026): Copper ingots and metallurgical practices in Etruscan central Italy: a neutron-based study of ?Aes Rude? from Gonfienti and Fiesole (Italy), STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2600017

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.