ABSTRACT
The examination of metalworking debris from sites of medieval date in Britain has led to the identification of evidence for a variety of precious metal refining processes: cupellation (the separation of precious metals from base metals), assaying (testing the purity of gold and silver), salt parting, and acid parting (two methods of separating gold from silver). Initially, the finds posed problems of interpretation and their functions were unclear. This chapter shows how by marrying the descriptions contained in medieval texts with chemical and mineralogical analyses of the finds, the archaeological remains can be linked to particular processes, resolving many of the original uncertainties. Furthermore, some explanations are proposed to the discrepancies identified between historical and archaeological information. The relative value of both types of sources, and the potential of their combination, is addressed.
