Results of Mineralogical and Chemical Analyses of Slag Samples From the Excavations of Medieval Settlements Novy Bor I, III, IV (The Republic of Komi, Russia)
摘要
The results of studies of slag from the excavations of the medieval settlements of Novy Bor I, III, IV (the Ust-Tsilemsky District of the Komi Republic) are presented. Analytical investigations were conducted using optical and scanning electron microscopes, X-ray diffraction, and spectroscopic techniques. Mineralogical and chemical analyses revealed slags indicative of both ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgical activities. Slags from ferrous metallurgy were primarily composed of siliceous iron-rich materials, with additional elements such as aluminum, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Microprobe analyses confirmed the presence of minerals like fayalite, wüstite, iron-silicate glass, and reduced iron. Non-ferrous metallurgy slags exhibited a composition characterized by siliceous-calcium-aluminum phases, alongside elements such as iron, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. Identified minerals included fayalite, wüstite, wollastonite, plagioclase feldspars, iron-silicate glass, magnetite, and copper-iron inclusions. Smelting temperatures for iron oxide ores ranged between 1000 and 1400 °C, while copper oxide ores were smelted at higher temperatures up to 1600 °C.