L’espace lorrain a connu, au cours des XIXe et XXe s., une intense activité sidérurgique reposant sur la réduction d’un minerai sédimentaire, la Minette lorraine. Paradoxalement, on a longtemps considéré qu’aucune activité de production liée à l’exploitation de ce minerai n’avait pris place dans cette région avant l’époque contemporaine. Un programme de recherche initié il y a 25 ans a par ailleurs totalement renouvelé la perception de l’histoire sidérurgique de cet espace. Les activités de production s’y sont déroulées de manière sporadique dès les âges du Fer, avant de prendre de l’ampleur au cours de la période médiévale. Les recherches menées permettent une première appréhension de l’évolution des modes de production du fer en Lorraine à différentes époques, mises en perspective dans leur contexte européen. Toutefois, les modalités de distribution du métal produit restent largement méconnues, du fait de l’indigence relative des sources historiques à cet égard. Une première perception des circuits de distribution du fer se développant au sein de l’espace lorrain est exposée dans ce mémoire, contribuant à l’appréhension des usages du fer à différentes époques.Une méthodologie développée récemment par le Laboratoire Métallurgies et Cultures et le Laboratoire Archéomatériaux et Prévision de l’Altération, reposant sur la caractérisation chimique des déchets associés à la réduction du minerai et des inclusions présentes dans les produits sidérurgiques, a été employée dans ce but. Ce travail interdisciplinaire propose par ailleurs de nouveaux développements en termes de traitement statistique multivarié de l’information chimique, contribuant ainsi à répondre aux problématiques développées.Un référentiel géochimique, constitué d’une base de données préexistante et d’informations nouvelles acquises à l’occasion de prospections archéologiques, offre une perception nouvelle de la diversité chimique caractérisant les activités sidérurgiques anciennes au sein de l’espace lorrain et de ses marges. Des ensembles géochimiques de production ont ainsi été mis en évidence. Plusieurs contextes de consommation ont ensuite été considérés, offrant un éclairage sur les circuits de distribution du fer aux époques anciennes en Lorraine. Une démarche statistique, reposant sur l’emploi d’analyses descriptives et de modèles prédictifs, a été appliquée en ce sens, après avoir été éprouvée par l’étude d’ateliers sidérurgiques pour lesquels l’utilisation d’un minerai en particulier est assurée par le contexte archéologique.Les résultats obtenus permettent de préciser, parfois à l’encontre des hypothèses formulées au préalable, les pratiques d’échange du fer à différentes époques, en regard de nos connaissances quant aux modes de production sidérurgiques. Des discussions portant sur le rôle joué par le travail du fer au sein des sociétés anciennes sont initiées à la lumière des informations nouvellement acquises. / Lorraine was, during the 19th and 20th c., one of the most important ironmaking areas worldwide, relying on the use of a sedimentary ore, the Minette lorraine. Paradoxically, it has long been thought that no iron was produced using this ore before the modern era. A research program initiated 25 years ago totally renewed our perception of its metallurgical history. Production activities were indeed sporadically performed since the Iron Age, before drastically increasing during medieval times. Research performed allows a first apprehension of the ironmaking activities’ forms in Lorraine and their evolution through successive periods, put into perspective in the European context. Iron trade and circulation remain however largely unknown, due to the lack of historical sources. A first insight of the trade networks relative to iron products extending throughout Lorraine and its fringes is exposed in this thesis, contributing to the perception of the use of iron in different periods.A methodology recently developed by the Laboratoire Métallurgies et Cultures and Laboratoire Archéomatériaux et Prévision de l’Altération, relying on the chemical characterization of smelting slags and slag inclusions entrapped in iron products, was employed to that purpose. This interdisciplinary work also offers new developments in the multivariate statistical treatment of chemical information, and contributes to answering the issues raised at the beginning of this work.A geochemical reference set, comprised of a pre-existing database and new information gathered on archaeological surveys performed during this work, was set up. It provides a new perception of the chemical diversity characterizing iron smelting activities within Lorraine and its fringes. Geochemical production sets were emphasized in doing so. Several iron consumption contexts were then considered, offering the possibility of shedding light on iron spreading networks during ancient times in Lorraine. A statistical approach, relying on the use of both descriptive statistical analyses and predictive modelling, was applied to that purpose. It was beforehand tested by studies performed on workshops for which the use of a given ore is attested by archaeological records.Results allow enlightening, sometimes against formerly formulated hypotheses, the practices in terms of the iron’s trade through different periods, facing our current knowledge about iron production modes. Benefiting from newly gathered information, discussions about the role played by ironworking activities among ancient societies are initiated.

Técnicas de caracterização microestrutural, incluindo microanálise química EDS (energy dispersive spectrometry), foram usadas para investigar as inclusões não-metálicas de amostras ferrosas da Real Fábrica de Ferro São João de Ipanema (Sorocaba, século XIX), da Ponte D. Pedro II (Bahia, produzida na Escócia, Mossend Iron Works, século XIX) e dos sítios arqueológicos de São Miguel das Missões (Rio Grande do Sul, século XVII) e de Afonso Sardinha (Sorocaba, século XVI). Estes resultados foram analisados por métodos estatísticos com o objetivo de estabelecer a assinatura química de cada uma das quatro procedências testadas. A análise dos gráficos bivariantes dos resultados de microanálise de inclusões \"globais\" (% SiO2 versus %Al2O3; %CaO versus %K2O; %MgO versus %Al2O3 e % SiO2 versus %FeO) não permitiu separar os resultados em agrupamentos significativos com relação à procedência das amostras. Os resultados de microanálise da correlação dos teores de %TiO2 e %V2O5 presentes na fase wüstita da microestrutura das inclusões de escória mostraram, no entanto, um agrupamento significativo para os resultados dos artefatos ferrosos de Bahia e de Missões, mas não permitiram separar os resultados dos artefatos de Ipanema e de Sardinha. Deste modo, foi usada a análise hierárquica de conglomerados dos resultados de microanálise das inclusões \"globais\" e de seus microconstituintes (fase wüstita e \"matriz\") com o objetivo de separar os resultados em quatro grupos coincidentes com as quatro procedências investigadas. Somente a análise hierárquica de conglomerados usando os teores de %MgO, %TiO2, %V2O5, %MnO e %Al2O3 presentes na fase wüstita permitiu separar com sucesso os quatro grupos de resultados. Finalmente, a baixa fração volumétrica de inclusões de escória das amostras de Ipanema (~1% contra uma média de 4% das demais amostras) indica a existência de certo grau de domínio tecnológico dos processos produtivos da Real Fábrica de Ferro São João de Ipanema. / Microstructural characterization techniques, including EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis) microanalyses, were used to investigate the slag inclusions of the microstructure of ferrous artifacts of the Royal Iron Factory of São João de Ipanema (first steel plant of Brazil, XIX century), the D. Pedro II Bridge (located in Bahia, assembled in XIX century and produced in Scotland) and the archaeological sites of São Miguel de Missões (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, production site of iron artifacts, the XVIII century) and Afonso Sardinha (São Paulo, Brazil production site of iron artifacts, XVI century). The microanalyses results were analyzed by a hierarchical cluster analysis and the dendrogram with the microanalyses results of the wustite phase (using as critical variables the contents of MnO, MgO, Al2O3, V2O5 and TiO2) allowed the identification of four clusters, which successfully represented the samples of the four production sites (Ipanema, Sardinha, Missões and Bahia). The comparatively low volumetric fraction of slag inclusions in the samples of Ipanema (~1% whit an average of 4% others samples) indicated the existence of some degree of proficiency in the ironmaking processing of the Royal Iron Factory of São João de Ipanema.

Técnicas de caracterização microestrutural, incluindo microanálise química EDS (energy dispersive spectrometry), foram usadas para investigar as inclusões não-metálicas de amostras ferrosas da Real Fábrica de Ferro São João de Ipanema (Sorocaba, século XIX), da Ponte D. Pedro II (Bahia, produzida na Escócia, Mossend Iron Works, século XIX) e dos sítios arqueológicos de São Miguel das Missões (Rio Grande do Sul, século XVII) e de Afonso Sardinha (Sorocaba, século XVI). Estes resultados foram analisados por métodos estatísticos com o objetivo de estabelecer a assinatura química de cada uma das quatro procedências testadas. A análise dos gráficos bivariantes dos resultados de microanálise de inclusões \"globais\" (% SiO2 versus %Al2O3; %CaO versus %K2O; %MgO versus %Al2O3 e % SiO2 versus %FeO) não permitiu separar os resultados em agrupamentos significativos com relação à procedência das amostras. Os resultados de microanálise da correlação dos teores de %TiO2 e %V2O5 presentes na fase wüstita da microestrutura das inclusões de escória mostraram, no entanto, um agrupamento significativo para os resultados dos artefatos ferrosos de Bahia e de Missões, mas não permitiram separar os resultados dos artefatos de Ipanema e de Sardinha. Deste modo, foi usada a análise hierárquica de conglomerados dos resultados de microanálise das inclusões \"globais\" e de seus microconstituintes (fase wüstita e \"matriz\") com o objetivo de separar os resultados em quatro grupos coincidentes com as quatro procedências investigadas. Somente a análise hierárquica de conglomerados usando os teores de %MgO, %TiO2, %V2O5, %MnO e %Al2O3 presentes na fase wüstita permitiu separar com sucesso os quatro grupos de resultados. Finalmente, a baixa fração volumétrica de inclusões de escória das amostras de Ipanema (~1% contra uma média de 4% das demais amostras) indica a existência de certo grau de domínio tecnológico dos processos produtivos da Real Fábrica de Ferro São João de Ipanema. / Microstructural characterization techniques, including EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis) microanalyses, were used to investigate the slag inclusions of the microstructure of ferrous artifacts of the Royal Iron Factory of São João de Ipanema (first steel plant of Brazil, XIX century), the D. Pedro II Bridge (located in Bahia, assembled in XIX century and produced in Scotland) and the archaeological sites of São Miguel de Missões (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, production site of iron artifacts, the XVIII century) and Afonso Sardinha (São Paulo, Brazil production site of iron artifacts, XVI century). The microanalyses results were analyzed by a hierarchical cluster analysis and the dendrogram with the microanalyses results of the wustite phase (using as critical variables the contents of MnO, MgO, Al2O3, V2O5 and TiO2) allowed the identification of four clusters, which successfully represented the samples of the four production sites (Ipanema, Sardinha, Missões and Bahia). The comparatively low volumetric fraction of slag inclusions in the samples of Ipanema (~1% whit an average of 4% others samples) indicated the existence of some degree of proficiency in the ironmaking processing of the Royal Iron Factory of São João de Ipanema.