Archaeological find in Lleida reveals ancient lead metallurgy

Archaeological findings at the Minferri site in Juneda, Lleida, have provided the oldest direct evidence of lead smelting in the Iberian Peninsula. Chemical and microstructural analyses of slag fragments, combined with radiocarbon dating, place this metallurgical activity between 1900 and 1700 BCE.

This discovery significantly shifts the established historical timeline. Previously, consolidated lead metallurgy in the region was attributed to the arrival of the Phoenicians around the first millennium BCE. These findings suggest that indigenous communities were practicing lead production approximately 800 years before Phoenician influence.

The research, involving the University of Granada, the University of Lleida, the University of Cambridge, and Iltirta Arqueologia, indicates that these early communities deliberately selected minerals rich in copper and lead, such as chalcedony or linnaeite, sourced from areas near Montsant and Linares.