During the extension of a sport complex near Tilburg, The Netherlands, some archeological objects were discovered. Some shreds of pottery seem to confirm that the objects found were originating from the Middle Iron Age.1 Some of the objects were egg-shaped and hollow, with a smal
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During the extension of a sport complex near Tilburg, The Netherlands, some archeological objects were discovered. Some shreds of pottery seem to confirm that the objects found were originating from the Middle Iron Age.1 Some of the objects were egg-shaped and hollow, with a small opening on the tip. The objects did awaken the thought that they might have been used as molds for melting metal. In this report the egg-shaped crucibles, or now called ‘eggs’ are further investigated. The crucibles are examined by X-ray micro-CT scans and XRF analyses. The micro-CT scans are viewed and processed by Avizo 9.3. Results show that the eggs consist out of a half shell which is wrapped into a second shell. The second shell was still soft when wrapping, and therefore the metal scraps laid down inside the lower shell left some imprints within the outer shell. Also some highly attenuating materials can be found on the scans. This indicates the presence of metals as well as metal oxides or minerals with a high atomic number. In three eggs a large quantity of highly attenuating materials is found. In two of those eggs, these materials are seepage of metal that has been molten. In the other egg it is more likely to be a mineral, since the material is surrounding vesicles formed during the heating of the eggs. The XRF data showed that the objects are made out of clay. Some glassy looking parts on the outside of the eggs turned out to be precipitated quartz. The main metal that has been molten was found to be bronze, since high amounts of copper and tin were found.
