The author proposes here a wide time span insight of iron's craft industry and economy along the French Mediterranean shores, through the archaeological study of ancient iron artefacts. This study integrates an archeometrical approach, combining metallographic and petrographic methods specifically adapted to the analysis of antique metal manufactured objects. A holistic approach has been considered for the artefacts and its context, incorporating the new studies of twelve significant metallurgical sites with their particular topics -i.e. pilot archaeological site- to precise, already existing bibliographical inventories. An exhaustive documentation of the new locations has been achieved both through the archaeological data obtained and rigorous description of the installations. Around 28000 metallurgical materials counting objects and slags have been adequately inventoried, and 169 of them have been subjected to the archaeometric study. This work is structured according to the three major activities emerging from the iron bloomery process: The production of the metal (direct reduction of the ore), the manufacture of the objects (forging) and the trade of ferrous artefacts in a semi-finished form (circulation of semi-products). Thus, through the evolution of these three economical activities, it is possible to highlight the choices and the behaviour which were adopted for the same exercise from the Antiquity commercial systems to the Carolingian reform, to finally contribute to a better knowledge of the society to the Roman period to the beginning of the Middle Ages in the south of Gaul.
