Metalworking Evidence from a Late Antique Context in the Forum of Grumentum

Abstract

This paper is a preliminary report on metallurgical activity detected in the Forum of the ancient city of Grumentum ( Basilicata, Italy). In the Late antique period, an area next to one of the most important temples of the square was turned into a metalworking structure, which has yielded a set of hearths, metallurgical remains, and some tools. The results of archaeometrical investigation on the debris are reported and discussed, together with a general analysis of the archaeological context, also in comparison with other similar evidence detected elsewhere in Italy.