engleski

Between technological choices and resource availability: an insight into wood exploitation strategies for iron production and common use

Wood consumption by past societies had a significant role, whether for common use in an unaltered state such as construction, fire setting, object production or as charcoal for metallurgical activities. Antracological analysis of charcoal samples from settlements and iron production sites located within a unique lowland landscape of Drava River Valley (Podravina region, NW Croatia) dated to late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, shows patterns of wood species used. These can be associated with archaeological context and presumed functional use of wood and technological reasoning behind specific wood species used in iron production processes (smelting and smithing). Potential areas of exploitation are presumed through analysis of natural prerequisites for vegetational growth and the potential of wood species occurrence in the wider area of the Drava River Valley floodplain and its natural bounding Bilogora hills. The results show that the organisation of iron production activities (location selection for workshops) and technological choices made, wood exploitation and charcoal production are intertwined and conditioned by resource availability.

antracology ; charcoal ; iron production ; direct reduction ; postreduction procedures ; late antiquity ; early middle ages ; bog iron ore ; landscape use

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