Every summer, within a specialist centre known as “La plateforme des arts du feu”, the small town of Melle in the French department of Les Deux-Sèvres becomes a stage for experimentation in ancient metallurgy. It is here that a research team is trying to recreate all the stages involved in minting coins just as it was done in the Graeco-Roman era. As a model, they are taking the silver owl of Athens that was struck in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. However, the process proves to be problematic. The obstacles encountered by the team reinforce the researchers conviction that further experimentation is required before the production methods ..of ancient minting can be fully understood

A film by Raymond COLLET
Production : CNRS (USR 3134) - Centre d’Etudes Alexandrines
11 minutes - © 2008 - CNRS / CEAlex
Distribution : Harpocrates Publishing - 9, Sesostris Street, Attarine, Alexandria, Egypt
• Camera : Bertrand et Thomas FAUCHER
• Montage : Raymond COLLET
• Still photographies : Thomas FAUCHER, Louis BROUSSEAU
• voice off : Renee GIAN
• Translation and narration : Colin CLEMENT
• Acknowledgements : Adrien ARLES - Jean-Paul BAILLEUIL - Louis BROUSSEAU
- Célia CASTRO - Delphine DIXNEUF - Florian DUGOIS - Marie-Pierre
GUIRADO - Maxime L’HÉRITIER - omain JANVIER - Alain LECLER - Alexandre
MAHÉ - Jean-Philippe MARNAIS - Julien OLIVIER - Fanny TROUVÉ
Institut de Recherche sur les ArchéoMATériaux (UMR 5060) - Service Régional
de l’Archéologie Poitou-Charentes - Conseil Général des Deux-Sèvres
Ville de Melle - Mines d’argent des rois francs - Bibliothèque Nationale de
France - Madlight Films

CEAlex 11’ MA10EN