We investigate, on the basis of CCD Stromgren photometry, the ages and meta
llicities of six LMC clusters together with their surrounding field populat
ion. The clusters and metallicities are: NGC 1651 (in the range [Fe/H] = -0
.65 dex to -0.41 dex), NGC 1711 (-0.57 +/- 0.17 dex), NGC 1806 (-0.71 +/- 0
.23 dex), NGC 2031 (-0.52 +/- 0.21 dex) and NGC 2136/37 (-0.55+/-0.23 dex)
and NGC 2257(-1.63+/-0.21dex). The metallicities for NGC 1651, NGC 1711, NG
C 1806 and NGC 2031 have been determined for the first time (NGC 2031 and N
GC 2136/37 are interesting for the Cepheid distance scale).
In the cluster surroundings, we found about 650 field stars that were suita
ble to be used for a determination of an age-metallicity relation (AMR). Ou
r method is to estimate ages for individual stars on the basis of Stromgren
isochrones with individually measured metallicities. With this method we a
re able to sample the AMR of the field population up to 8 Gyr.
Our metallicity data are incompatible with models predicting many metal-poo
r stars (G-dwarf problem). The metallicity of the field population increase
d by a factor of six, starting around 2 Gyr ago. The proposed AMR is consis
tent with the AMR of the LMC cluster system (including ESO 121 SC03 and thr
ee clusters with an age of 4 Gyr).
The proposed AMR is incompatible with the recently proposed AMR by Pagel &
Tautvaisviene: (1998).