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Historical metallurgical activities and environment pollution at the substratum level of the Main Market Square in Krakow

Marta Wardas-Lasoń
Marta Wardas-Lasoń
 and 
Aldona Garbacz-Klempka
Aldona Garbacz-Klempka
   | May 31, 2016
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Article Category: Research Article
Published Online: May 31, 2016
Page range: 59 - 73
Received: May 11, 2015
Accepted: Feb 02, 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/geochr-2015-0032
Keywords
© 2016 M. Wardas-Lasoń and A. Garbacz-Klempka
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The finding place and appearance of the historical slag examined: the slag was found in room R and W, the lead in trench A (Szejbal-Dereń and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010):The map of the Old Town in the top left hand corner according to Radwański (1975) — sampling sites [associated with previous studies (Wardas et al., 2008; Wardas and Such, 2009)] of copper and lead contamination of historical layers are indicated by cylindrical bars [left and right hand bars show concentrations in mg/kg of copper and lead respectively];Diagram M shows the Rynek Underground according to Kadłuczka (2004): sampling sites (P1–P3 and 1–6) [associated with previous studies]; chemistry of groundwater (Czop et al., 2010), including studies of copper and lead contamination (Motyka et al., 2012).(A — trench A; GWH — the Great Weigh House; C R W — rooms)Inset — photographs of samples taken from various sites as labelled.
The finding place and appearance of the historical slag examined: the slag was found in room R and W, the lead in trench A (Szejbal-Dereń and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010):The map of the Old Town in the top left hand corner according to Radwański (1975) — sampling sites [associated with previous studies (Wardas et al., 2008; Wardas and Such, 2009)] of copper and lead contamination of historical layers are indicated by cylindrical bars [left and right hand bars show concentrations in mg/kg of copper and lead respectively];Diagram M shows the Rynek Underground according to Kadłuczka (2004): sampling sites (P1–P3 and 1–6) [associated with previous studies]; chemistry of groundwater (Czop et al., 2010), including studies of copper and lead contamination (Motyka et al., 2012).(A — trench A; GWH — the Great Weigh House; C R W — rooms)Inset — photographs of samples taken from various sites as labelled.

Sites of collection of earth and deposit samples (waste water sediments) in an area where a lead slab known as the 'loaf' was found as well as in other Great Weigh House rooms (Szejbal-Dereń and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010). Locations of the sampling points are indicated: 1–29, RCu, RPb;Photographs: a) A-trench cross-section AA’ of the south wall; b) A-trench sampling of wastewater sediments from the gutter; c) A-trench site sampling of the ground of the gutter profile; d) a general view of the sampling site in trench A. (GWH: the Great Weigh House; A: trench A).
Sites of collection of earth and deposit samples (waste water sediments) in an area where a lead slab known as the 'loaf' was found as well as in other Great Weigh House rooms (Szejbal-Dereń and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010). Locations of the sampling points are indicated: 1–29, RCu, RPb;Photographs: a) A-trench cross-section AA’ of the south wall; b) A-trench sampling of wastewater sediments from the gutter; c) A-trench site sampling of the ground of the gutter profile; d) a general view of the sampling site in trench A. (GWH: the Great Weigh House; A: trench A).

a–b) Medieval crucibles from the Main Market Square during spectral analysis; c) 13th century stone casting mould for a part of a ring from the Main Market Square; d) 14th century ring from the Main Market Square in Krakow; spectrometer images (Głowa and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010).
a–b) Medieval crucibles from the Main Market Square during spectral analysis; c) 13th century stone casting mould for a part of a ring from the Main Market Square; d) 14th century ring from the Main Market Square in Krakow; spectrometer images (Głowa and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010).

The chart at the top shows the radiocarbon age and ranges of calendar age for sample R3 (layer 109 from the Great Weigh House strata at the Main Market Square in Krakow — room R (Schejbal-Dereń, Garbacz-Klempka 2010)) on the basis of radiocarbon 14C dating; the photographs below show14th / 15th century metal artefact R3 — the first image is of the whole object and the remaining three are close-ups of the surface (using SEM).
The chart at the top shows the radiocarbon age and ranges of calendar age for sample R3 (layer 109 from the Great Weigh House strata at the Main Market Square in Krakow — room R (Schejbal-Dereń, Garbacz-Klempka 2010)) on the basis of radiocarbon 14C dating; the photographs below show14th / 15th century metal artefact R3 — the first image is of the whole object and the remaining three are close-ups of the surface (using SEM).

The graphs show elemental content (%wt.) of various samples (as labelled) taken from locations indicated on the plan in the centre (Szejbal-Dereń and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010).a) shows a vertical profile of the sequence of layers (fraction | 0.18 mm) in trench A (samples 20–27) showing Pb Cu and Ni levels as labelled; in sample 22 levelling sand is present in samples 26 and 27 there are — modern fills; the additional y-axis shows MASL and estimated age.b) shows Pb Cu and Ni concentrations in samples taken from utility levels in the GWH.c) shows Pb Cu and Ni concentrations in sediment samples from potential leaching areas taken from the GWH and trench A (except for sample 11):Sample 11 was taken from a trench on the north side of the Cloth Hall – M; Sample 28 was taken from the bottom of the wooden trough in trench A; Sample 1 was taken from the top of the wooden trough in trench A; Samples 219 and 18 were taken from the site of excavation of the lead slab;Samples 3–6 were taken from the gutter (Sample 11 has been included for comparative purposes — revealing similar elemental concentrations).d) A comparison of concentrations of Cu Ni and Pb between samples taken from trench A and the Great Weigh House.e) A comparison of element concentrations in metal artefacts taken from Room R in the Great Weigh House (individual samples are not indicated on the plan in the centre).f) A comparison of element concentrations in metal artefacts taken from Room W in the Great Weigh House (individual samples are not indicated on the plan in the centre).
The graphs show elemental content (%wt.) of various samples (as labelled) taken from locations indicated on the plan in the centre (Szejbal-Dereń and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010).a) shows a vertical profile of the sequence of layers (fraction | 0.18 mm) in trench A (samples 20–27) showing Pb Cu and Ni levels as labelled; in sample 22 levelling sand is present in samples 26 and 27 there are — modern fills; the additional y-axis shows MASL and estimated age.b) shows Pb Cu and Ni concentrations in samples taken from utility levels in the GWH.c) shows Pb Cu and Ni concentrations in sediment samples from potential leaching areas taken from the GWH and trench A (except for sample 11):Sample 11 was taken from a trench on the north side of the Cloth Hall – M; Sample 28 was taken from the bottom of the wooden trough in trench A; Sample 1 was taken from the top of the wooden trough in trench A; Samples 219 and 18 were taken from the site of excavation of the lead slab;Samples 3–6 were taken from the gutter (Sample 11 has been included for comparative purposes — revealing similar elemental concentrations).d) A comparison of concentrations of Cu Ni and Pb between samples taken from trench A and the Great Weigh House.e) A comparison of element concentrations in metal artefacts taken from Room R in the Great Weigh House (individual samples are not indicated on the plan in the centre).f) A comparison of element concentrations in metal artefacts taken from Room W in the Great Weigh House (individual samples are not indicated on the plan in the centre).

XRF analyses results for the chosen copper alloy rings (Głowa and Garbacz-Klempka, 2010).

The analysed area symbolElement content (% wt.)
CuZnSnPbSbAsAg
P001 / plate62.4214.9619.421.880.040.330.05
P002 / plate76.4418.921.680.790.170.340.13
P003 / plate72.2223.460.410.460.070.090.12
P004 / plate77.1020.300.080.410.330.100.07
P005 / ring79.3110.624.221.880.140.020.16
P006 / plate78.9918.131.250.820.000.000.10
P007 / plate73.9415.328.331.500.000.090.09
P008 / plate88.5710.010.290.300.170.080.10
P009 / plate66.2316.6910.902.430.130.410.13
eISSN:
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Language:
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Journal Subjects:
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