Progrès techniques et innovations dans la production de l’argent au Laurion (Attique, Ve-IVe siècles av. n. ère)

This study is devoted to the techniques and forms of exploitation of mining production in Laurion (Attica) during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. It argues that these two centuries present two different models in this regard. During the 5th century, mining exploitation was extensive, employing a very large number of slaves, involving the digging of a significant number of shafts and galleries, and focusing on the richest ores. During the 4th century however, fewer slaves were employed, and few new shafts were dug (especially in the early part of this century) but, thanks to the improvement of mineral processing workshops (ergasteria), ores with lower silver content, as well as the sorting waste (ekvolades) inherited from previous centuries could now be profitably processed. Those innovations allowed the successful intensive exploitation of the Laureotic mines during the second third of the 4th century, from which resulted the production of a significant volume of silver that was converted into the pi-style Athenian coins.