Monia Barbieri 1, Claudio Cavazzuti 1

1 Museo
Civico Archeologico Etnologico di Modena (Italy)
monia.barbieri84@gmail.com, centomille@hotmail.com

This research is part of a project called “Smiths in Bronze Age Europe” carried out by the Museo Civico Archeologico Etnologico di Modena
within the frame of the OpenArch project, supported by a EU program. The main purpose is to investigate Bronze Age metallurgical
technologies, with particular regard to the Terramare culture, which developed in the Po Plain (Northern Italy) during the Middle and the
Recent Bronze Age (ca. 1650-1150 BC). Accordingly to the traditional goals of experimental archaeology, the research aims to reconstruct
the Bronze Age craftman’s knowledge, techniques and specializations, through the use of archaeological sources concerning metallurgy
(casting structures, crucibles, tuyères, moulds, working tools, slags, semifinished products and artifacts, etc.).
INTRODUCTION
A large number of stone moulds has been found in Terramare sites since 19th century. They
were made to produce a wide range of bronze objects, such as ornaments, weapons and tools,
but the most represented items are axes and daggers. Empirical observations pointed out that
not all the types of stone are adapt to resist to the heat of molten metal.
In collaboration with the Department of Earth Science of the University of Modena and Reggio
Emilia, we studied 96 moulds, or fragment of them, found during the archaeological excavations
of ancient Terramare and today recorded in the Archaeological Museum of Modena and in the
Civic Museums of Reggio Emilia, in order to understand which types of stone were used by the
Terramare craftsmen and to find the possible sources of supply of raw material (Barbieri, Lugli
Fig. 1 - Stone moulds for axes, daggers, spear-heads, studs and 2012).
bars from Terramare sites. Fig. 2 – Area of interest of the study.
a b
ANALYTICAL APPROACH quartz siltite
sandstone 2%
The analyzed moulds are made of fine-grained detrital sedimentary rocks. For the 12% calcarenite
identification of the rock types we took small samples from the original moulds in order 39%

to produce thin sections observed at the optical microscope (fig. 3). We identified five
different groups of lithotypes: the most represented are calcarenite and biocalcarenite
(fig. 4). Fine-grained carbonate rocks, the most abundant near the area investigated,
have the advantage of being easy to work with and resistant to thermal shock.
We identified the main geological formations of origin of these lithotypes (Pantano 1 mm 1 mm
biocalcarenite
35% calcareous
Formation, Monte Cassio Flysch): they outcrop few km away from the sites nearest to the sandstone
Fig. 3 - a) biocalcarenite, Pantano Fm. b) calcarenite, unknown
low Apennines (fig. 5). However, the origin of one type of calcarenite (fig. 3b), the 12%
provenance. Images with an optical microscope in crossed nicols.
principle stone used especially in Modena area, is still unknown.
Fig. 4 - Percentages of lithotypes documented
among the moulds investigated.

It seems to exist a correlation between rock types and categories of objects represented onto
the moulds. The calcarenite was used mainly to produce daggers, small bars and ornaments,
that are thin and small objects, while calcareous sandstone was used to produce big and thick
objects, like axes and large bars. The biocalcarenite is the most used lithotype, both for objects
of reduced thickness and in some cases greater detail, such as daggers, small bars, rings and
razors, both for objects of greater thickness, which are therefore subject to greater thermal
shock, such as axes and large bars (fig. 6).
18

16 1
2
14
2 not sedimentary rocks
12
1
7 quartz sandstone
10 2
1 1
siltite
8
1 biocalcarenite
6 3
4
4 calcareous sandstone
4 9
6
calcarenite
2 1 5
4
1 3
1 1
Fig. 5 - Simplified geological maps of Reggio Emilia (left) and Modena 0
(right) areas with the sites of provenance of the moulds and the closest daggers spear-heads axes large bars small bars other
outcrops of the lithotypes identified.
Fig. 6 – Relationship between lithotypes and categories of objects (moulds without
recognizable matrices are not represented).
EXPERIMENTAL REPRODUCTION
We decided to produce a copy of an ancient mould made out with one of the principal types of stone used by Terramare artisans, the biocalcarenite of Pantano Formation. After a survey
campaign we have found one of the most accessible source of it, the closest to the plain sites (fig.5). The chosen model is a fragmentary mould for axe from Montale (fig. 1, top left).
The aims of this experiment were to test the characteristics of the stone and to
verify the level of knowledge and skills required in this kind of production. For
this reason we have worked with reproductions of ancient tools like bronze
chisels and awls, stone and antler hammers, and other materials documented at
that time. The steps of the process are described below.

Step 1- Sketching out of the block Step 2 - Forming two quite regular Step 3 -Scrubbing the two Step 4 - Drawing the shape. Step 5 - Engraving the Step 6 - Carving the matrix
with an antler hammer and a valves with a stone hammer (a river valves onto each other profile of the shape with a with a bronze chisel and a
bronze chisel (12% tin). pebble) and a bronze chisel (12% tin). using coarse sand. bronze awl (ca. 8% tin) . stone hammer.

Step 6 - Refining the surface with a The complete set of implements Pre-heating of the mould beside the Casting the axe. Final result.
fine handled bronze chisel. involved in the process. casting pit.

CONCLUSIONS
This experience documents that the production of moulds for axes can be carried out by non-
specialised craftmen for the following reasons:
- the process itself includes a series of many simple operations (each step might be reproduced
also by non-adulte male individuals);
- biocalcarenite is easy to work, resistant to heat and durable, thanks to its physico-chemical
properties;
- the shape of this simple axe is massive and poor of details, and can be obtained with a
monovalve mould;
- the implements involved in the whole process are few and simple.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BARBIERI M. 2006, Le forme di fusione del Museo Civico Archeologico Etnologico di Modena: classificazione tipologica e caratterizzazione
dei litotipi, Tesi di Laurea in Scienze dei Beni Culturali, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia.
BARBIERI M., LUGLI S. 2012, Forme di fusione dalle terramare del territorio modenese e reggiano: caratterizzazione dei litotipi e
individuazione delle provenienze, in AA.VV., Atti del VII Convegno Nazionale di Archeometria (AiAr), Modena.
BERNABÒ BREA M., CARDARELLI A., CREMASCHI M. 1997, Le Terramare. La più antica civiltà padana (Catalogo della Mostra), Modena.
LE FÈVRE – LEHÖERFF A. 1992, Les moules de l’age du bronze dans la plaine orientale du Po: vestiges de mise en forme des l’alliages base
cuivre, in «Padusa», XXVIII, pp. 131-243.
A special thanks to Prof. Stefano Lugli (Università di Modena and Reggio Emilia) for the petrographic study,
Prof. Andrea Cardarelli (Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”) for the scientific advices and Ilaria Pulini
(Museo Civico Archeologico Etnologico di Modena) for the coordination of the project.