’20 Years Before the Blast’: Experimental Bloomery Iron Smelting, 2001-2024
By Darrell Markewitz and Neil Peterson
Wareham Forge
ISBN: 9781069159755
This book explores medieval iron-smelting technology through experimental archaeology, drawing on more than a hundred tests of bloomery iron smelting to better understand how the process worked, particularly in the Norse settlement of Vinland.
Excerpt:
Since the very beginning, from that first Parks Canada session at L’Anse aux Meadows NHSC in June 2001, I have specifically been focused on what can loosely be called the historic “Migration Era”, through to the Viking Age. Since 2000, formal academic research into the same period has greatly increased, with examination of historic iron smelting growing since about 2010. But the simple truth is that when I started, exactly how to build and manage a correctly working small bloomery iron furnace was more a matter of guess work than knowledge. Those I have worked with, combined with the experiments documented here, I feel were significant in helping to establish those operating principles.
Who is this book for?
This book follows up on Basics of Bloomery Iron Smelting: Experimental Iron Smelting by examining 101 tests involving small-scale bloomery iron furnaces, which medieval people used to transform raw iron ore into usable metal. Most of the book is devoted to analysing these experiments and what they reveal about iron smelting in Vinland, Icelandic turf-walled furnaces, the Turf to Tools project, and Norse bellows equipment.
This is a highly technical book aimed primarily at researchers practising experimental archaeology or studying Norse metalworking techniques. It also offers valuable insights for those interested in the Norse settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, where evidence of iron smelting has been uncovered.
The Authors
Darrell Markewitz is a professional artisan blacksmith with decades of experience, including working at the L’Anse aux Meadows site in Canada. Neil Peterson is an independent researcher focusing on experimental archaeology and the industrial processes of the Viking era.
’20 Years Before the Blast’: Experimental Bloomery Iron Smelting, 2001-2024
By Darrell Markewitz and Neil Peterson
Wareham Forge
ISBN: 9781069159755
This book explores medieval iron-smelting technology through experimental archaeology, drawing on more than a hundred tests of bloomery iron smelting to better understand how the process worked, particularly in the Norse settlement of Vinland.
Excerpt:
Since the very beginning, from that first Parks Canada session at L’Anse aux Meadows NHSC in June 2001, I have specifically been focused on what can loosely be called the historic “Migration Era”, through to the Viking Age. Since 2000, formal academic research into the same period has greatly increased, with examination of historic iron smelting growing since about 2010. But the simple truth is that when I started, exactly how to build and manage a correctly working small bloomery iron furnace was more a matter of guess work than knowledge. Those I have worked with, combined with the experiments documented here, I feel were significant in helping to establish those operating principles.
Who is this book for?
This book follows up on Basics of Bloomery Iron Smelting: Experimental Iron Smelting by examining 101 tests involving small-scale bloomery iron furnaces, which medieval people used to transform raw iron ore into usable metal. Most of the book is devoted to analysing these experiments and what they reveal about iron smelting in Vinland, Icelandic turf-walled furnaces, the Turf to Tools project, and Norse bellows equipment.
This is a highly technical book aimed primarily at researchers practising experimental archaeology or studying Norse metalworking techniques. It also offers valuable insights for those interested in the Norse settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, where evidence of iron smelting has been uncovered.
The Authors
Darrell Markewitz is a professional artisan blacksmith with decades of experience, including working at the L’Anse aux Meadows site in Canada. Neil Peterson is an independent researcher focusing on experimental archaeology and the industrial processes of the Viking era.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
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