Sabine NODIN

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I received my degree in Archaeology and History and completed a Master’s degree at the School of Historical Sciences, University of Lille. The topic of my dissertation was ‘Lithic Tools Employed in Greek Ore-Processing Based on the Example of Thasos’ (2014-2016).
My fieldwork experience was acquired in the Palaeolithic cave ‘La Caune de l’Arago’ at Tautavel and Vryokastro, Kythnos, Greece and post-excavation work experience at Thasos and Pistyros. I have also recorded and studied a large volume of lithic tools: stone crushing tools, pounders, mortars, pestles and millstones from Thasos associated with the processing of ores used in metallurgy. I also participated in archaeometallurgical experimentation in 2016 in the framework of preliminary experimental ore crushing. I then received training in laboratory analytical techniques at N.C.S.R “Demokritos” and proceeded with the analysis of ores by the X-Ray Diffraction technique (XRD).

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Nerantzis Nerantzis

Université libre de Bruxelles

Myrto Georgakopoulou

The Cyprus Institute

Georgios P Mastrotheodoros

National Centre of Scientific Research "DEMOKRITOS"

Université de Lille

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / French National Centre for Scientific Research

Konstantina Karaindrou

Nathan Arrington

Princeton University

Marina Tasaklaki

Hellenic Ministry of Culture

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Papers by Sabine NODIN

Nodin S., Nerantzis N. (2024), Processing of Mineral Resources and the Organization of Metal Production in Thasos during the Early Bronze Age

by Sabine NODIN and Nerantzis Nerantzis

Proceedings of the 7th Symposium of the Hellenic Society for Archaeometry, Edited by Eleni Filippaki in collaboration with Y. Bassiakos, G. Facorellis, A. Oikonomou, M. Papageorgiou, P. Loukopoulou and M. Kaparou, 2024

Ancient ore processing and metal production in the minerals-rich north Aegean have been significa... more Ancient ore processing and metal production in the minerals-rich north Aegean have been significant aspects of the region’s economic character as suggested by combined archaeological, geological and archaeometallurgical research. Archaeological finds from Thasos confirmed that the earliest steps of metallurgical technology on the island date back to the end of the Neolithic period. Excavations at three prehistoric settlements on Thasos, those of Limenaria, Skala Sotiros and Aghios Antonios, revealed evidence for early metallurgical practices that became the subject of recent interdisciplinary study. Attempting to further investigate the technical stages by which minerals were transformed into metals on prehistoric Thasos, this paper is focused on recent mineralogical analysis of ores by means of XRD, the study of stone tools used in ore processing, experimental crushing and grinding of Thasos ores and analysis of metallurgical residues by SEM/EDX. The combined results are useful for reconstructing the chaîne opératoire in an attempt to better understand prehistoric copper metallurgy on Thasos and examine its place within the broader Aegean metallurgical tradition of the Early Bronze Age.
KEYWORDS: ORES, STONE TOOLS, CRUSHING, METALLURGY, COPPER, EXPERIMENTATION, THASOS

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Nodin S. (2023) Ore Processing Techniques in Thasos during Antiquity

Nerantzis N. (ed) Forging Values. Metals Technologies in the Aegean and Beyond from the 4th to the 1st Millennium BCE, Études d’archéologie 20, CReA-Patrimoine, ULB, 2023

Ore processing is a crucial stage in any metal production workflow which comprises all the operat... more Ore processing is a crucial stage in any metal production workflow which comprises all the operations converting natural minerals extracted in their raw form into an enriched product, a processed material close to the desired mineral / final metal. The study of Greek mineral processing has traditionally been based on the Athenian example of Laurion, which actually represents a unique case of silver extraction on a large scale. Although northern Greece endowed with gold in addition to silver deposits has been another important region contributing to ancient wealth, its history of ore processing has not attracted equal attention. While mineral deposits and – to a lesser extent – mining activities are well documented, the mineral-processing activities have not been studied in detail. Although the sophisticated model for the treatment of lead-silver ores in Attica is well-known, such evidence in lacking in northern Greece, in particular due to the absence of comparable enrichment facilities. The reasons for this deficit are certainly related to the history of mining and to the limited targeted research, while it also depends on geological realities mainly linked to the major difference in the North Aegean mineralisation compared to that of other regions, in particular its polymetallism. From this point of view, it is legitimate to question the diversity of the technological processes concerning post-mining processing. Crushing and grinding are necessary operations for the metal production chaîne opératoire, but could it be that each phase corresponds to a stable typology of tools devoted to a single function? It has been argued that during the various periods of Greek Antiquity ore-processing tools are virtually indistinguishable from those used in cereal processing for flour making. This was therefore the essential research question of this study, to reassess the functional hypotheses related to these tools, in the light of our own specific archaeological context. Additionally, to determine whether there is specialization and to be able to identify the different functional bridges between various supports and to consider how the diversification of this toolset compensated for the lack of ‘labour specialisation’ in ore-processing activities. Careful examination of previous studies on each of the mineral-processing phases demonstrates a complete gap in our understanding of the ways by which this toolset is intertwined with its associated chaînes opératoires. This chapter attempted to fill a gap in research at an international level, aiming to explore the reconstruction of techniques in order to be able to envisage the organization of production in a diachronic way. The way in which these processes unfolded is crucial for a better understanding of subsequent developments in the production of metals.

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Nerantzis N., Nodin S. and Papadopoulos S. (2023) Urban Metallurgy at Pistyros: Investigating the Contexts of Production

by Nerantzis Nerantzis and Sabine NODIN

Nerantzis N. (ed) Forging Values. Metals Technologies in the Aegean and Beyond from the 4th to the 1st Millennium BCE, Études d’archéologie 20, CReA-Patrimoine, ULB, 2023

This chapter presents excavation data with the aim of investigating the dispersion of metallurgic... more This chapter presents excavation data with the aim of investigating the dispersion of metallurgical finds in ancient Pistyros, both across space and in depth. The ultimate goal is the interpretation of the stages of metallurgical production and the role of metallurgy in the life of the city during the Hellenistic period (4th-2nd century BC). The slag was found scattered across excavated area, with a greater concentration in the center of the city. So far, no primary smelting furnace attributed to a workshop area has been identified, but a number of remnants of the process. There is evidence of secondary metallurgical practices at at least one more central point. Based on the dispersion and the study of stratigraphic correlations, a preliminary interpretation of the organization of production in an urban context is attempted. Some preliminary results deriving from XRF analysis are also included in the discussion on the mainstay of metals extraction enacted on site.

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Nerantzis N., Nodin S. and Papadopoulos S. (2022) The organization of Mining and Metal Production in Aegean Thrace from the Archaic to the Roman Period

by Nerantzis Nerantzis and Sabine NODIN

Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Classical Archaeology Cologne/Bonn, 22 – 26 May 2018 Archaeology and Economy in the Ancient World, 2022

The significant metal deposits of the North Aegean were renowned in the ancient world through men... more The significant metal deposits of the North Aegean were renowned in the ancient world through mentions in myths and historical accounts. Long before the arrival of the Greeks in the Thracian littoral, the processing of minerals to produce copper, lead-silver, and the collection of alluvial gold was common among the native populations. With the gradual establishment of Greek colonies and emporia in the Archaic period, an increase in mineral exploration and metal production is manifested by relevant archaeological findings. Interdisciplinary research in this region was initiated in the early 1980’s when several mining shafts and metallurgical sites were located across Mount Pangaeon and the Lekani mountain range. In recent years renewed interest on the study of mining landscapes in Aegean Thrace combined with new excavation projects brought about important new information. This paper discusses the issue of mining and metallurgical activity across this region from the Classical to the Roman period in light of recent archaeological data. The ongoing excavation project at Pistyros (Pontolivado), a Thasian emporion west of the Nestos estuary, has yielded large volumes of metallurgical slag. Initial examination has confirmed that these residues derive from the reduction of iron ores in furnaces and forging of the blooms, as well as copper and lead/silver extraction dating to the Classical and Hellenistic periods. While the evidence for mining exists at various localities in the Lekani, presumably in Thracian territory, secondary processing and the manufacture of objects was achieved within this Greek fortified site. In this context, accessing, controlling, and negotiating mineral resources among the indigenous Thracian populations and the inhabitants of the Greek settlements are fundamental in understanding the organization of metals production in the North Aegean.

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Nodin S., Nerantzis N. (2024), Processing of Mineral Resources and the Organization of Metal Production in Thasos during the Early Bronze Age

by Sabine NODIN and Nerantzis Nerantzis

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Nodin S. (2023) Ore Processing Techniques in Thasos during Antiquity

Nerantzis N. (ed) Forging Values. Metals Technologies in the Aegean and Beyond from the 4th to the 1st Millennium BCE, Études d’archéologie 20, CReA-Patrimoine, ULB, 2023

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Nerantzis N., Nodin S. and Papadopoulos S. (2023) Urban Metallurgy at Pistyros: Investigating the Contexts of Production

by Nerantzis Nerantzis and Sabine NODIN

Nerantzis N. (ed) Forging Values. Metals Technologies in the Aegean and Beyond from the 4th to the 1st Millennium BCE, Études d’archéologie 20, CReA-Patrimoine, ULB, 2023

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Nerantzis N., Nodin S. and Papadopoulos S. (2022) The organization of Mining and Metal Production in Aegean Thrace from the Archaic to the Roman Period

by Nerantzis Nerantzis and Sabine NODIN

Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Classical Archaeology Cologne/Bonn, 22 – 26 May 2018 Archaeology and Economy in the Ancient World, 2022

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Sabine NODIN

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