Of iron and lead

On the underwater site of Pharos, off Qaitbay, a Franco-Egyptian team from the Centre d' études alexandrines (centre for Alexandrian studies), began a series of rescue excavations under the supervision of Jean-Yves Empereur more than ten years ago. One of the studies relates to the lead cavities and seals found on the blocks coming from the Alexandria Lighthouse which was destroyed for good in 1303 by an earthquake.
This film describes the work carried out by Mourad el Amouri, archaeologist, Valérie Pichot, archeo-metallurgist, and Isabelle Hairy, architect-archaeologist, in a workshop set up near the excavation site on Fouad Street, in Alexandria. They investigate the operating methods, try to find the gestures of craftsmen and experiment with different techniques and materials.