Aspects of Mining and Smelting in the Upper Harz Mountains (Up to the 13Th/14Th Century) - in the Early Times of a Developing European Culture and Economy

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ASPECTS OF MINING AND SMELTING IN THE UPPER HARZ MOUNTAINS (UP TO THE 13TH/14TH CENTURY) - IN THE EARLY TIMES OF A DEVELOPING EUROPEAN CULTURE AND ECONOMY

With contributions from Friedrich Balck, Andreas Bingener, Wolfgang Brockner, Matthias Deicke, Karin Hegerhorst, Lothar Klappauf, Friedrich-Albert Linke, Ulrich Willerding and Harald Witthoft

Edited by Christiane Segers-Glocke and Harald Witthoft

SCRIPTA MERCATURAE VERLAG Contents

Preface (Christiane Segers-Glocke) V

Introduction (Lothar Klappauf and Harald Witthoft) VII

Lothar Klappauf Studies of the development and structure of early metal production 1 Introduction 1 Historical background 1 History of research 2 The Monuments 5 a. Mineral resources 5 b. Supporting industries 8 c. Mines 12 d. Smelting sites 12 Trade and further processing 20 Development of mining and smelting in the Harz region 22 Zusammenfassung 23 Literature 23

Friedrich-Albert Linke Archaeological survey of monuments of early mining and smelting in the Harz Mountains 30 Introduction 30 Prospection 35 a. Preparation for prospection 35 b. Prospection 37 c. Documentation 42 d. Sampling 44 e. Work-up of a prospection - broader implications 44 II

Preliminary results a. Medieval sites of the 9^-10th century - situated on springs or the upper course of streams b. Medieval ,,smelters in the woods" of the 10th-! 1th century - situated often in the transition from a steep valley to the surrounding plateau on exposed upstream sites c. Medieval ,,smelters in the woods" of the 12th-! 3th century - situated on small streams in high valleys, not particularly exposed d. Medieval smelters of the 13th-! 4th century - situated along larger streams e. Modern smelters, from the 16th century onward Summary Zusammenfassung Literature

Wolfgang Brockner and Karin Hegerhorst Early copper, lead and silver production processes Introduction Ore resources of the Harz Aims of the archaeometrical investigations Copper winning Lead / silver line a. Roast reaction process b. Roast reduction process c. Lead soaking (,,Verbleiendes Schmelzen") d. Silver winning by cupellation Other non-ferrous alloys - brass Summary Zusammenfassung Acknowledgements Literature Ill

Matthias Deicke Findings concerning the environmental history of the Harz Mountains and the utilisation of mineral resources 66 Introduction 66 Ore deposits at Rammelsberg 66 Ore dykes of the Upper Harz 68 Iron ores 70 Summary 76 Zusammenfassung 77 Literature 77

Ulrich Willerding On the utilisation of the plant resources of the Upper Harz Mountains 79 by the mining and smelting industries during medieval times Introduction 79 Natural vegetation of the Upper Harz Mountains 80 On the more recent history of vegetation and on mining in the Upper 82 Harz Mountains On the environment during periods of mining 87 a. Vegetation in the vicinity of the smelter sites 88 b. Provision and nutrition of the people 91 Summary and outlook 93 Short Summary 93 Zusammenfassung 95 Literature 96

Harald Witthoft Early medieval mining and smelting in the Harz Mountains - histori- 99 cal perspectives Mining, smelting and coinage in a society based on agriculture and 99 barter Early coinage - where did the silver stem from? 101 Precious metals in a static economic, social and monetary order 103 IV

Medieval mining and smelting in a framework of dynamic economic, 105 social and cultural changes Material remains - laid out or adjusted to a numerical order 107 Zusammenfassung 111 Literature 112

Andreas Bingener Medieval metal trade in and around the Harz Mountains - markets 119 and routes of transport The Harz region in the 10* and 11 * century 119 Copper trade since the 11 * century 122 The time of decline (approximately 1280-1360) 127 The role of the Monastery of Walkenried in the metal trade 130 Summary 136 Zusammenfassung 137 Literature 137

Friedrich Balck Computerised measuring techniques applied to late medieval mining 143 architecture, sacral buildings and archaeological remains Introduction 143 Methodology 144 Examples of applications 148 a. FeuergezSher GewOlbe (,,FeuergezSher Vault") 148 b. Vestibule of a cathedral 153 c. St. George at Badbergen 155 d. St. Michael at Hildesheim 159 Summary 164 Zusammenfassung 165 Literature 165

Addresses of the authors 166

Sources for illustrations used in the contributions above 168