Earth Science Institute of the SAS
Topic
Thermal Regimes of Historical Metallurgy in Slovakia
PhD. program
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
RNDr. Júlia Kotulová, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Prírodovedecká fakulta UK
Annotation
The dissertation focuses on the interpretation of temperature parameters and thermal regimes of historical smelting processes in Slovakia and on the assessment of the degree of control over metallurgical operations in different furnace types and historical periods. The principal carrier of temperature information is thermometry based on reflectance measurements of inertinite macerals in charcoal, which allows the determination of charcoal production temperatures in charcoal kilns and the characterisation of metallurgical process temperature conditions based on the analysis of archaeologically documented charcoal fragments recovered from metallurgical furnaces. The thermal interpretation is closely integrated with mineralogical and microanalytical characterisation of input raw materials, additives, and smelting products. The results enable the interpretation of technological regimes, the identification of regional production traditions, and the assessment of the degree of process control exercised in the historical metallurgy of Slovakia.