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STUDIES IN ANCIENT MINING AND METALLURGY IN SOUTH-WEST SPAIN / Explorations and Excavations in the Province of Huelva 1981 by Beno Rothenberg and Antonia Blanco-Freijeiro with contributions by H G Bachmann, R Corzo, P T Craddock, A Horowitz, J Hunt, A Jimenez, M P Jones, K J Matterson, C L Peers, A Ronen, K N Shettle, R F Tylecote. 320 pp 298 illus HB £18.00 Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies, Institute of Archaeology, University of London. Huelva province in south-west Spain is one of the great ancient metal mining areas of the world. This book is the result of a very detailed study of a part of this area, where ancient mining began in the Chalcolithic age - 4th to early 3rd millennium BC and developed into the largest metal industry of the ancient world in Roman times. The introduction quotes some early sources such as Pliny and Strabo and describes the many archaeological finds, many of which were uncovered by later mining. This is followed by details of the survey. Over forty sites are described with numerous photos and plans. The usual parameters are given, grid reference, location, description etc. Sites include: Early mining and smelting sites, Early sites with metallurgical remains, and Ancient industrial mining and smelting sites. This gives a good indication of the archaeo-metallurgical potential of the area. Two preliminary surveys of the Huelva coastal plane covering geology and the paleo-environment [pollen analysis] are also included. It transpires from the excavation of Tejada la Vieja, a pre-Roman village, now uninhabited, that this was an important site for metal production and trade. The finds give an interesting perception into life in the Late Bronze Age. This is a particularly fascinating portion of the book, with the village having occupied such a dominant position between two natural regions, so much so that even its inhabitants were recognised as almost a race apart, living as they did between those who made their living from agriculture on the fertile plains, and those who roamed the northern mountains. Having just visited south-west Cork, an area also famed for its Bronze age mines, it was interesting to compare the techniques used in the two locations, particularly as related to trench mines and it would be interesting to mount a survey to compare the various technologies employed. Particularly interesting about this book is the way in which the wealth of archaeological data has been incorporated to give an overall picture of the social influences which have had a direct bearing on the industry and its exponents. The book is concluded by a series of analytical procedures for slag, flux, ore and furnace linings. Tony Oldham, Specialist Caving and Mining Bookseller %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%