Mining and Metallurgy Lead Complexes and Finds in the Roman Provincies at the Territory of Serbia

Upotreba olova i kalaja vezuje se za priobalje istočnog Mediterana tokom druge polovine X veka p. n. e. Olovo se pominje u egipatskim hijeroglifima i klinastim natpisima iz Asirije, dok se u mikenskom periodu koristi za izradu različitih predmeta (nalazi iz Mikene, Troje i Tirinta). Grčki naziv za olovo bio je μόλυβδος, dok je kod Rimljana plumbum ili plumbum nigrum (crno olovo) i plumbum album (belo olovo, kalaj). Pronalazak olova se prema legendi vezuje za kralja Midu iz Frigije (Midacritus sa ostrva Cassiterides ‒ Frigija).1 Stoga je olovo u Homerovoj Ilijadi poznato pod imenom cassiteros (Iliad., XI, 25; XIII, 561). Plinije navodi da se crno olovo nalazi samostalno u rudi ili zajedno sa srebrom. Tokom procesa topljenja rude, metal koji prvi prelazi u tečno stanje nazivan je „stannum“ (metal sličan kalaju), a zatim se topi srebro, dok galenit ostaje na dnu i predstavlja trećinu minerala. Nakon prvog procesa odvajanja, topljenje se ponavlja da bi se dobilo crno olovo. Iz istog izvora saznajemo da je crnog olova bilo u Španiji, Galiji i Britaniji. Bilo ga je u izobilju, da je zakonom ograničena eksploatacijaThe usage of lead and tin is connected to the Eastern Mediterranean coast and the period of the second half of the 10th century BC. Lead is mentioned in Egyptian hieroglyphs and cuneiform inscriptions from Assyria, while in the Mycenaean period, it was used for producing different artefacts (finds from Mycenae, Troy and Tiryns). The Greek name for lead was μόλυβδος, while the Romans called it plumbum or plumbum nigrum (black lead) and plumbum album (white lead, tin). According to a legend, the discovery of lead is connected to king Midas from Phrygia (Midacritus from the island of Cassiterides ‒Phrygia). This is why in Homer’s Illiad, lead is known under the name cassiteros ((Iliad., XI, 25; XIII, 561). Pliny states that black lead is found independently in an ore or together with silver. During the melting process, the metal that first turns liquid is called “stannum” (a metal similar to tin) and only after that, silver is melted, while galena remains at the bottom and represents one third of minerals. After the first separation process, melting is repeated in order to obtain black lead. From the same source, one finds out that black lead was obtained in Spain, Gaul and Britain. There was plenty of it, and its usage was limited by la