Smelting Experiments at Butser Iron Age FarmEarly Mines Research Group
Hammer-stones - hand held crushing implements from Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth

An experimental archaeology course has been taught by Paul and Brenda Craddock and Simon Timberlake at the Butser Iron Age Farm in Hampshire for MA Archaeology students at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Starting from scratch students are expected to make their own bellows, ceramics and furnaces, and to smelt, refine and cast metal from the raw ore whilst recording the whole process in detail.

Alongside the skill of metallurgy and of replication of tried techniques and method there is also scope for true experimentation and research.

Copper metal has been smelted from malachite ore within earth bank and post-hole furnaces.

Making bellows and firing crucibles and tuyeres in a bonfire kiln to use in smelting copper and tin ore

Copper carbonate (malachite) ore was being smelted in simple furnaces with charcoal to produce copper metal which we re-melted and cast into flat copper axes
Making bellows and firing crucibles and tuyeres in a bonfire kiln to use in smelting copper and tin ore
Using bellows to fire the bnfire kiln
Copper carbonate (malachite) ore was being smelted in simple furnaces with charcoal to produce copper metal which we re-melted and cast into flat copper axes
Copper carbonate (malachite) ore was being smelted in simple furnaces with charcoal to produce copper metal which we re-melted and cast into flat copper axes
Copper carbonate (malachite) ore was being smelted in simple furnaces with charcoal to produce copper metal which we re-melted and cast into flat copper axes

Created by
SustainAbility.Net

 

This website was made possible by a grant from the Cambrian Archeology Association