The Bavay hole plates: Archaeometric survey

The Bavay moulds are made from clay mixed with quartz sand and baked at a h igh temperature, in excess of 1200 degrees centigrade.: they were adapted t o preparing small doses of molten metal. Two groups of moulds can be made o ut: the first are covered with small Au-Ag-Cu metal spheres and do not disp lay any sign of over-heating; in some of these moulds, small blocks of pure copper could be spotted. More numerous, the moulds of the second group dis play a coating of soot, with no metal spheres and contain particles of char coal. The composition of the silicated coating suggest metal melting temper atures around 1300 to 1400 degrees centigrade. The presence of Ni and Sn wi thin the silicated coating on the globules can be a usable trace to determi ne the source of the metal used in Bavay.