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Book Review: Accidental and Experimental Archaeometallurgy by D. Dungworth and R. Doonan (Eds)

Author(s)
Dave Budd 1 ✉
Publication Date
Spawned from an HMS (Historical Metallurgy Society) conference at West Dean College in 2010, this book is a unique compilation of papers written by both academics and craftsmen. Further articles not directly drawn from the conference have been included and cover non-ferrous experiments and an ethnographic study of blacksmithing...

From the Soil to the Iron Product - the Technology of Medieval Iron Smelting

Author(s)
Adam Thiele 1 ✉
Publication Date
2013 EXARC meeting at Csiki Pihenökert (HU)
***Nowadays, the development of technology rushes past the people of the machine-based technical civilisation, therefore they fail to understand the technological wonders that surround them. One of these is the ancient technology of iron smelting...

The Production of High Carbon Steel Directly in Bloomery Process: Theoretical Bases and Metallographic Analyses of the Experiments Results

Author(s)
Adrian Wrona 1,2 ✉
Publication Date
7th UK EA Conference Cardiff 2013
***The series of experiment on iron smelting conducted by author in 2012 resulted in very good quality high carbon steel produced directly in the bloomery furnace. Bearing in mind the unusual mechanism of carburization in a 'Aristotle furnace', a question arose concerning possibility of occurrence the same phenomenon during the smelting process. This paper discusses the results of the metallographic studies of produced iron as well as the description of the conducted experiments.

Interview: Dr Rosemarie Leineweber

Author(s)
Volkmar Held 1 ✉
Publication Date
Dr Leineweber (1951) has an impressive track record in German experimental archaeology, reaching over two decades back. She worked with metals, cremation experiments and much more, with museum colleagues, university students and researchers and inspiring many people in how to experiment in a way which is not only fun, but brings progress...

50th Anniversary of L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada

Author(s)
Neil Peterson 1 ✉
Publication Date

The summer of 2010 saw the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Viking Era site at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland Canada. To celebrate this milestone Parks Canada arranged a number of special events, including an August visit from the Dark Ages Re-creation Company (DARC)...

"But if you don't get any IRON..." Towards an Effective Method for Small Iron Smelting Furnaces

Author(s)
Darrell Markewitz 1 ✉
Publication Date

Building and operating a small bloomery iron furnace is certainly a wonderful public demonstration for any museum or living history site. It is however a complex technical process, with many individual factors combining for success. Over the last decade in North America, small teams of blacksmiths have developed predictable working methods through trial and much error. This direct practical experience can provide some insights into questions that even the best researched theories may not be able to solve.