Archaeometallurgical Research of Products From Experimental Iron Smelting Reconstruction in a Slag Pit Bloomery Furnace

Jiří Kmošek

Archeologia technica, vol. 25 (2014)
Pages: 25–39
Language: Czech
Type of article: scientific article
DOI: n/a

Abstract:
The paper is dealing with an evaluation of experimental products from direct reduction of iron ore in replica of bloomery furnace from the La Tene period. Following methods were used for an analysis of iron bloom, forged billets, iron slag and iron ore: optical and electron microscopy, optical emission and X-ray fluorescence analysis, electron probe microanalysis and X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that a smelting product is an iron bloom with an inhomogeneous distribution of carbon, with areas of pure ferrite, ferritic-pearlite and hypoeutectoid steel areas. Increased carbon content and the presence of ledeburitic structure was documented in the reforged billet of iron bloom. An important structural phase of direct reduced iron slag are inclusions containing wüstit, fayalite and amorphous glassy phase.