The remains of the metallurgy workshop discovered in Hérault -
Inrap
By Toutatis !
During excavations, as part of the construction of a housing estate, archaeologists from Inrap (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) discovered in Combaillaux (Hérault) a protohistoric iron ore reduction workshop, dating from the 5th century. 3rd century BC.
It is the oldest discovered to date in the territory of southern Gaul, indicates Inrap.
Until then, "no place of iron reduction was known in the South of France and in the Mediterranean prior to the 2nd century BC, although iron objects appeared as early as the 7th century BC", note the archaeologists. .
A minimum area of around 700 m2
This workshop is organized "around three blast furnaces," continues Inrap, in a press release.
Everything suggests that the Combaillaux workshop was specialized in the primary reduction of iron ore.
The footprint of this metallurgical activity reaches a minimum surface area of around 700 m2.
The size of the kilns, the nature of the technical system and the remains discovered, allow the production of iron to be estimated between 100 and 120 kg per reduction and per kiln.
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The excavations at Combaillaux also made it possible to find heated stone hearths, post holes, fragments of ceramic vases and flint tools.
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