Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2007, Page 60

Arne Espelund
Element % Si % Mn % c %s % P
Weight % 0.01 < 0.01 < 0.01 0.008 0.006
Table 5. Analysis of bloom from Skeibrok, Norway by the author.
coincidence it is in the laboratory of the
author. It was found during tilling of soil
and appears to come from a house ground
or a grave in a reasonably good context
(Martens, Rosenqvist 1979). The authors
are referring to S. Grieg (1934:69), who
named it “raw iron” and referred to the
excavations by the deceased Helge Gjess-
ing a few years earlier. It is also men-
tioned by Hauge (1946:151). The bloom
is by Martens classified as fellujern.
The bloom weighed 4.02 kg with
dimensions 18.2 x 12.7 x 5.4 cm. The
bloom had been cut, as shown by Mar-
tens (1979). A large piece was studied
further by the present author. A density
of 6.8 was found by immersion in water.
Drillings from the bloom were analyzed
chemically at Molab in Mo i Rana, giving
the figures shown in Table 5. The figures
indicate that this is an extremely pure iron
(Si and Mn reflect slag inclusions). This
was confirmed by optical metallography.
This metallographic sample was studied
in seven points by means of the scan-
ning electron microscope. Beside FeO
a phase containing FeO, P205 and Si02
was detected. On a second occasion the
element molybdenum was searched for at
two points in the metallic phase, together
with O, Si, K,Ca, Na, P, Mg, Mn, Cl, A1
and Fe. For the metal the value obtained
was about 97.4% Fe and for oxygen about
2%, the latter representing a surface layer.
Among the others only molybdenum
reached a significant level, with 0.08
and 0.12%. This is of particular inter-
est in relation to the finds at L’Anse aux
Meadows (0.061% large nail and 0.13 %
large rivet) (Unglik & al. 1999). On the
other hand, however, the bloom does not
contain enough phosphorus to match the
content in the large nail (0.60% P). Two
other blooms from South Norway, from
Lárdal in Telemark and Bykle in Setesdal,
Aust-Agder were also studied, without
any trace of molybdenum.
There are large trees in the inner
fjords in Lista, suitable for boatbuilding.
While not the result of systematic work,
the analyses indicate iron production in
Telemark, Setesdal or Vest-Agder, result-
ing in blooms, which were taken to the
south coast where large ocean-going ships
were built. It is claimed here that such a
ship sailed to Greenland with some blooms
on board. A ship later went to L’Anse aux
Meadows, where smithing of nails and riv-
ets from blooms produced in Norway took
place. We are therefore left with only two
out of five objects, which may have been
produced at L’Anse aux Meadows: the steel
sheet ffagment and the lump of cast iron.
The authors admit that the lump of cast iron
may be the result of unsuccessful smelting.
The authors also claim that the steel sheet
fragment is firom the end of the 19th-begin-
ning of the 20th century. Therefore we can-
not refer to any iron object, definitely pro-
duced at L’Anse aux Meadows.
Wallace in her new book presents
a well-preserved whole boatnail, found
outside Hall D. She claims without giving
any details that it was made locally (Wal-
lace 2006:63). She expresses that “com-
parisons between the slag and samples of
bog ore from along the brook showed that
the ore had indeed been local”. Probably
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