Iron Smelting

Archaeological excavations conducted at the settlement-sanctuary of Ust-Polui, located just north of the Arctic Circle in Western Siberia yielded the oldest remains of early iron production in the Сircumpolar region of Asia. Ust-Polui archaeological finds associated with metallurgy of iron are dated back to the 3rd century BC – 2nd century AD. Hence the finds date the origins of metallurgical technologies used in the north of Western Siberia virtually several centuries back in time and geographically extend the spread of iron metallurgy between the eras significantly. It seems that Ust-Polui is the most northern point on the Earth where iron metallurgy was developed by ancient people. The discovery of new iron production site poses an important question - what are the reasons and ways of appearance of the iron smelting technologies in the Polar North of Siberia? It is possible that all knowledge was obtained from outside via contacts with metal producing societies, who lived in the eastern regions of the Ural Mountains (to the southwest of Ust-Polui), and knew how to produce iron about two thousand years ago.

Archeologické výzkumy osady-svatyně Ust-Polui, nacházející se severně od arktického kruhu v západní Sibiři, odkryly nejstarší pozůstatky rané výroby železa v polárních oblastech Asie. Archeologické nálezy spojené s metalurgií železa jsou datovány od 3. stol. př. n. l. do 2. stol. n. l. Datují tak počátky užívání metalurgických technologií v severozápadní Sibiři prakticky o několik století dříve a geograficky výrazně rozšiřují prostor, v němž se železná metalurgie mezi danými obdobími šířila. Zdá se, že Ust-Polui je nejsevernějším bodem planety, kde byla starověká metalurgie železa rozvinuta. S objevem nové lokality s doklady metalurgie železa vyvstává důležitá otázka – z jakých důvodů a jakým způsobem se metalurgie železa za polárním kruhem na severu Sibiře objevila? Je možné, že veškeré poznání bylo získáno zvenčí prostřednictvím kontaktů se společnostmi vyrábějícími kovy, které žily ve východních oblastech Uralských hor (na jihozápad od Ust-Polui) a které si osvojily znalost výroby železa již před dvěma tisíci lety.

In 2013 and 2014 fieldwork was carried out in the Widawa valley near Namysłów (Opole voivodeship) to investigate sites with iron smelting slag assumed to belong to Przeworsk culture. It was supposed that these surface sites dated back to the late pre-Roman Iron Age (phases A 1-a 3) and thus belonged to the earliest Przeworsk culture. To verify this chronological classification, we conducted surveys at various sites and investigated the structure of iron smelting and especially its chronological position at the Pielgrzymowice site (municipality Wilków) by trial trenching. This paper presents the results of geophysical and archaeological as well as archaeobotanical investigations. Our studies in Pielgrzymowice show that iron smelting was carried out during the middle to late Roman period and under no circumstances during the late pre-Roman period. This unambiguous result is based on radiocarbon data from the lowest charcoal layer of a furnace and is supported by further absolute data from features in the surrounding area. The furnaces are those with a 'very big' slag pit, which are typical for the Roman period in Silesia and are themselves a relative means for chronological classification.

We excavated the Iron smelting furnaces, belonging to the Xiongnu Age (209BC-155AD), in Mongolia. These furnaces can be divided into three types by structures. By the stratigraphic research and the radioactive carbon dating of charcoal, the transition from Type 3 to Type1 occurred from late BC1c. to around the beginning of AD1c.

Résumé L’occupation altomédiévale (vie-viiie s.) au lieu-dit Les Noires Terres sur la commune de Messein, au sud de Nancy
(Meurthe-et-Moselle, France, fouille 2003-2004), associe des unités composées d’un bâtiment d’habitation et de structures de type agricole
(greniers, silos, enclos, cabanes excavées…) à des ateliers de production et de travail du fer (préparation du minerai, fabrication
du charbon de bois, fourneaux de réduction, forgeage du fer). La présence des déchets relevant d’une chaîne opératoire complète (de la
préparation du minerai à l’élaboration de produits finis), documentée par l’étude paléométallurgique, ainsi que le volume de production
estimé au vu de leur quantité (plusieurs dizaines de tonnes de fer), suggèrent qu’il s’agit de l’activité principale des occupants et
non pas d’une activité d’appoint aux pratiques agricoles. La nature de l’occupation est donc discutée : les vestiges découverts correspondraient
aux unités d’habitation d’artisans spécialisés, avec leurs ateliers, comportant l’ensemble des installations et équipements nécessaires
à leur subsistance et à leur vie quotidienne. On peut ainsi émettre l’hypothèse qu’il s’agit d’une des formes d’organisation de la
production du fer dans le monde franc au cours du premier Moyen Âge, et qu’elle correspond peut-être à ce que nous laissent entrevoir
les polyptiques de la période carolingienne.
Abstract The Altomedieval occupation (6th-8th c.) at Les Noires Terres in Messein, to the south of Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France,
excavation 2003-2004), associates elements composed of a dwelling and agricultural structures (granaries, silos, enclosures, excavated
huts, etc.) with iron production and transformation workshops (iron ore preparation, wood charcoal production, reduction furnaces,
iron forging). The presence of waste products corresponding to a complete chaîne opératoire (production sequence) (from iron ore
preparation to finished products), documented by the paleo-metallurgical study and the production volume estimated from their
quantity (several dozen tons of iron), suggest that this was the main activity of the occupants, rather than an activity secondary to
agricultural activities. The nature of the occupation is thus discussed : the remains discovered could correspond to the dwellings of the
specialized artisans, with their workshops, including all the installations and equipment necessary for their subsistence and daily life.
We can thus propose the hypothesis that this was one of the forms of iron production organization employed by the Franks during the
Early Middle Ages, and that if might correspond to that which is suggested by the polyptyques of the Carolingian period.