engleski

Reconstruction of bog iron ore deposits in the lowland landscape: a case study predictive model for the analysis of exploitation in archaeological periods

The fundamental raw material used for iron production in the lowland areas from Iron Age up to the Middle Ages was bog iron ore. Such is the case of the lowland alluvial plain of the Drava River Valley (today Podravina region (NW Croatia)) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Analysis of ore properties and deposits can contribute to the understanding of natural mechanisms that conditioned the exploitation and use of ores in the past. However, locating the deposits used by past societies is challenging, due to the possibility of full exploitation in the past, degradation and inhibited regeneration or development caused primarily by long-term human activities and the subsequent impact on the environment. Geoarchaeological research showed that in the modern landscape of the Podravina region, the Kalinovac - Hrastova greda 1 - 3 position, had the highest potential for ore development and the only, partially destroyed ore deposit known today. Based on multi-method predictive analysis, a model of the formation mechanism, physiognomy and potential area of deposit development in the lowland region of the Drava River alluvial plain is proposed. Methods of deposit recognition within the natural environment (pedological, relief, hydrological and vegetational indicative features) as well as the spatial dependency of potential deposit formation (exploitation) areas and positioning of archaeological sites with iron production remains are discussed. Data from surface field surveys, geoarchaeological probing, predictive spatial analysis and satellite imagery analysis as well as granulometric, mineralogical (XRD) and chemical analysis (ICP - AES) of samples of ore development stages are used in the study.

bog iron ore ; ore deposit ; lowland landscape ; geoarchaeology ; archaeological prospection ; GIS ; XRD ; ICP-AES ; granulometry

nije evidentirano