Metal artefacts, whether iron, copper alloy or lead, present a number of methodological and conservation issues when compared to other classes of archaeological materials and although they cannot always provide the necessary chronological footholds offered by well-established pottery seriations, they can however offer significant insight on other aspects of day-to-day life as well as past technological practices. In the short interview we will follow Alexander Agostini, research grant assignee in the ERC nEU-Med project, in his study of the over 1.500 metal finds recorded from the early Medieval site of Vetricella.

The work began in the field with the spatial recording via total station, of each single metal find; this was followed by artefact documentation, the establishment of typological groupings and ultimately the carrying out of comparative research. Non-invasive analysis of a significant portion of the assemblage was carried out by way of X radiography, a rapid non-destructive technique that allows to confirm initial autoptic examination while contributing to object characterization, classification and technological description.