Experimental
IRON SMELTING on VIDEO
How did the Norse during the Viking Age make
iron blooms from bog ore?
Experimental Archaeology can give insight into the techniques
used in Northern Europe to operate direct reduction iron
smelting furnaces.
These video segments are a part of the record of the ongoing series by Darrell Markewitz,
assisted by members of the Dark Ages
Re-creation Company.
Wareham, Ontario, Canada is this centre for practical
research into Norse methods for North America.
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Icelandic Sod Walled
Bloomery Furnaces, based on the remains at Hals This is the narrated slide presentation as given at the 2025 International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo |
'Look at the Bones!'
Adding bone in a bloomery iron smelt
This is the narrated slide presentation as given at the EAC 13 (experimental archaeology) conference in 2023, detailing the smelt of June 2020. Note that this link is to the EXARC site Experiment Description |
Compacting an Iron Bloom
Smelt 91/D36 - June 2022 This reference video was shot by Anita Herbert of an entire compaction process. In this case the entire slag bowl encasing the bloom was extracted, resulting in a much larger starting mass than is typical for this team. Experiment Description |
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| Bloomery Iron Smelt Extraction 'Wind & Weathering' Experiment - October 30, 2021. Footage from Neil Peterson (undertaking extraction) with Darrell Markewitz (assisting in background) and Richard Schweitzer on compaction. Standard 'Short Shaft' clay mix furnace build, at 28 cm ID and 70 cm tall. Forged copper insert tuyere, primarily electric blower for air. Experiment Description |
Now
with 70% Less Clay!
Experiments with Viking Age Icelandic turf walled iron smelting furnaces with K.P. Smith & N. Peterson This is the narrated slide presentation as given at the the 2021 EAC12 (Experimental Archaeology) Conference Note that this link is to the EXARC site |
Bellows Test - Norse Smelting Bellows February 2021 This is an air volume test of a Viking Age type 'twin chamber' bellows - of a size potentially large enough for use with a 'short shaft' bloomery iron furnace. Focus is on the anemometer used to record delivery volumes (KPH across a 2.5 area) Full discussion of this test : |
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| Westward Vikings - and IRON This is the narrated slide presentation originally prepared for the 2020 Woodford Iron Smelting Festival (Ireland). |
Econo-Norse Bloomery Iron Smelting Furnace Firebrick construction BLOOMERY FURNACE used to smelt iron by members of the Dark Ages Re-creation Company on November 6, 2010. A total of 24 kg haematite grit is converted to a 8.5 kg high carbon bloom. Experiment Description |
Vinland 3 November 7, 2009 Re-Creating the iron smelt by the Norse in Vinland, circa 1000 AD. The third smelt in this specific series. The result was a 2.9 kg bloom produced from 18 kg of bog iron ore analog. This smelt used all human powered air, supplied via a Norse style double bag bellows. Experiment Description |
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| Vinland 2 October 11, 2009 Second in the experiments working towards a full re-creation of the iron smelt that took place in Vinland by the Norse during the Viking Age. This test employs a mechanical pump bellows to simulate hand powered air delivery. Experiment Description |
Cutting the Bloom - Vinland 1 Sequence showing hand cutting of the 4.9 kg iron bloom created in the Vinland 1 smelt. |
Vinland 1 May 30, 2009 The first in the 'Vinland' series, based on the archaeology of L'Anse aux Meadows, with 18 kg of Fe3O4 based analog covered into a 4.9 kg iron bloom Experiment Description |
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| Bellows Plate / Blow Hole - Icelandic 4 November 8, 2008 Layout of furnace based on excavations at Hals. Bellows plate with blow tube air system. Ken Cook as smelt master. Experiment Description |
Work Dynamic Test - Icelandic 3 October 12, 2008 Experimental Iron Smelt based on the layour of the Viking Age site at Hals in Iceland. Here the available working spaces are tested. Experiment Description |
Stone Slab Furnace - Icelandic 2 October 27, 2007 Viking Age type furnace, stone slab constructuction with blow hole air delivery. A description of the smelt in progress. Experiment Description |
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Icelandic Stone Block Furnace Test
June 20, 2019 footage by Ryan Leis Commentary around the first smelt using a stone block furnace, suggested by the archaeology at Skogar, Iceland. |
Demo at CAMELOT 'Setting up the Furnace' September 16, 2019 footage by Fred Blonder Demonstration at the CAMELOT conference, Univesity of Waterloo. Commentary by myself and Neil Peterson, Gus Gissing as lead hand. |
Demo at CAMELOT 'Describing Slag' September 16, 2019 footage by Fred Blonder |
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| Demo at CAMELOT 'Preparing for Extraction' September 16, 2019 footage by Fred Blonder |
Demo at CAMELOT 'Loosening the Bloom' September 16, 2019 footage by Fred Blonder |
Demo at CAMELOT 'Bloom Extraction' September 16, 2019 footage by Fred Blonder |
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Link to Segment |
| Demo at CAMELOT 'Initial Compaction' September 16, 2019 footage by Fred Blonder |
Demo at CAMELOT 'Final Weight' September 16, 2019 footage by Fred Blonder |
America's Lost Vikings #3 War in the New World Iron Smelting Segment October 10, 2018 footage by Arrow Media This is the edited version of the day long filming of the complete iron smelt (for TV). Commentary on Episode |
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| Return to Vinland L'Anse aux Meadows NHSC July 16, 2017 footage by VidCraft Productions An overview of this smelt, undertaken with all Norse equipment. Mark Pilgrim as smelt master, (largely my narration). Experiment Description |
ARTEfakty Interview Museum of Ancient Mazovian Metallurgy, Pruszkow Poland Sept 7 - 12, 2016 footage by Muzeum Starożytnego Hutnictwa Mazowieckiego This was a completely unrehearsed (!) interview, also showing a protion of one of the two smelts undertaken at the event. Experiment Description |
Bellows with Bladder at SCA 50 event June 20, 2016 footage by Riventree Combination of stills and video, showing the ore roasting and the multiple bellows into bladder components. |
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| Out of the Earth Streaming Turf to Tools November 2014 footage by Tom Jones This was a 'live over internet' presentation that I took part in, describing the Turf to Tools 1 project. Project Overview |
Quad State 08 Demo Troy, Ohio September 28, 2008 raw footage by David Robertson A demonstration smelt at this regional blacksmith's conference. (infamous for the 'you're on fire!' segment) Experiment Description |