Iron mining in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Topoi A-5-4)

In close cooperation between Classical Archaeology and Physical Geography the project focused on (1) a topo-chronological reassessment of iron smelting on Elba in Antiquity and (2) the environmental impacts of ancient metallurgy on the island. Besides deforestation, also the emission of soot—the ancient Greek name of Elba is Aithále, ‘sooty’—and the disposal of thousands of tons of slag all over the island is an issue. Thus, the reconstruction of human–landscape interactions was the overarching objective of the project.