Mining archaeology and archaeometallugy in southern Tuscany (central Italy): a research project

The theme of ancient mining has recently become a renewed interest from archaeology, whose investigations have addressed the miners’ territories seeking to understand the relationships between the natural environment and human activities and comparing methodologies for the study. Since the 80s of XX century that in Italy, especially in Tuscany, archaeological studies have focused on the relationship between mineral resources and settlement in the medieval period. In this paper, we present a synthesis of the research promoted by the University of Siena in the area of Colline Metallifere (provinces of Livorno and Grosseto), demonstrating the huge potential of this area for the study of settlement, mining and productive dynamics of the pre-industrial era. Yet it underlines the role of scientific research to support the development of integrated projects of valorisation of cultural heritage, as well exemplifies the Technological and Archaeological Park of the Colline Metallifere Grossetane, created in 2002 with the active collaboration of the University and local authorities.