Surprise surprise! Your piece of metal vibrates at the same frequency as a handle that was hidden in the chest. A note written by Hazieff Taroun is wrapped clumsily around it. The handle and the piece of metal fit together perfectly, but there appears to be a missing third piece. The note provides information on how to proceed. It tells you that Hazieff had a workshop in the Snowbound Village that contains not only a large number of scientific treasures, but also potentially the missing third piece needed to complete Taroun's pickaxe. The science part doesn't do anything for you, but the treasure bit certainly does!