engleski

Iron production in Croatia, with special regards to Virje - Volaski breg (8th-9th century),

Archaeological excavation of two nearby positions in the vicinity of Virje in the Drava River valley (Republic of Croatia) yielded interesting data related to the primary processing of iron ore. In 2008 archaeological research was carried out. In the excavation we found 5 smelting furnaces in situ and some features with burnt earth at the bottom. Doubts about dating are resolved through radiocarbon dating which gave the dating furnace and pit in the early Middle Ages, more specifically to the end of the 8th and in the 9th centuries. The early medieval type of furnace was the so- called flat-hearth tapped furnace. The three furnaces were relatively well preserved. Two furnaces have been preserved only in traces. The spatial distribution of the excavated furnaces in the archaeologically investigated section of the workshop indicated that two furnaces were placed next to one another. Pit for making charcoal with strongly fired base is investigated a total of 5. As charcoal is an indispensible element in metallurgical activities relating to processing iron, it is not unusual that the pits for producing charcoal were found near the furnace. According to the results of archaeological research in Virje it seems the work in the smelting workshop was organized according to activities, and that the area with the furnace was separate from the pit for charcoal production and the (nearby) area for workshop refuse. So far in Croatia only a few sites with traces of processing iron were investigated, but mostly from the Roman or prehistoric period. Only site Virje - Volarski Breg gave information about the treatment of iron in the Middle Ages. The choice of positions was determined by natural resources, and several other sites with surface finds of smelting slag are known in the Drava River valley, both on the Croatian and the Hungarian banks of the river.

Virje ; processing of iron ; slag ; row material ; Early Middle Ages

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