Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2007, Page 61

Ancient ironmaking in Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland
by “slag” is meant slag inclusions in the
boatnail. Another point is a high content of
sulphur in both this nail and the local ore,
possibly creating hot shortness. However,
the main reason for roasting is to elimi-
nate sulphur from the ore. As roasted ore
was documented in house B, one would
not expect any sulphur in metal produced
locally, nor in the slag. However, Unglik
& al (1999:220) give values up to 0.1% S
in local ores (10 samples) and similar val-
ues for 24 smelting slags (1999:144—45).
In case this rivet was made from local
ore, the smelting therefore does not seem
to have been based upon roasted ore. It is
worth mentioning that roasting was not
performed in Iceland (see below). Anoth-
er point is that normal roasting due to the
intense heat could hardly be performed in
houses of a moderate size.
To sum up: the studies at L’Anse
aux Meadows have been seriously handi-
capped by corrosion of iron artefacts.
Unless the objects are preserved by pro-
fessional conservation, they rust, even
when left on the shelves in a laboratory.
When rusted, the objects can only reveal
the shape, not the analysis of the original.
However, for a study of ironmaking at
L’Anse aux Meadows the present author
will rely on the macro-perspective. The
seafarers were in great need of iron, and
found wood, probably also bog iron ore,
albeit of very varying quality. They tried,
but smelting was difficult. It was a spe-
ciality of a few persons living in a soci-
ety with ongoing bloomery ironmaking.
If the settlers came from Greenland, it is
unlikely that they had that kind of experi-
ence, given what has been argued above
about the absence of iron production in
Greenland.
The clearest evidence against
local ironmaking is the lack of a sizeable
amount of slag, which is the waste product
and is always discarded at the bloomery
site. 15 kg of slag is two orders of mag-
nitude below a reasonable minimum. By
comparison, nobody can claim that milk
production took place when the found
waste product - dung - amounts to that
of rabbits! One must admit, that the finds
at L’Anse aux Meadows has led to very
stimulating research and also the estab-
lishment of a very attractive and interest-
ing museum. In an Intemet version “Dis-
covering Vikings at L’Anse aux Mead-
ows” Jim Comish from Gander uses the
heading “More Questions Than Answers”.
The present author strongly supports this
view. In a personal communication Bir-
gitta Wallace has said: “We do not think
that ironmaking at LAM covered the local
need. They needed new boatnails, revealed
by cut nails and also a sort of smithy. The
finds represent a single smelt, which was
not planned. They would have included
an experienced ironmaker if smelting in
their temporary homeland was aimed at”
(author’s translation).
Iceland
The bedrock of Iceland is largely vol-
canic, consisting of basalt. This basalt
contains 11-14 % iron (Imsland pers.
comm.). Geologically speaking it is of
recent origin. Another feature typical for
a young country in this respect is a certain
drift relative to the two continents Europe
and America, also observed nowadays.
The island has many active volcanoes,
which have destroyed settlements and
created plateaus completely dominated
by lava. However, the volcanoes have also
provided specific layers of volcanic ash,
giving archaeologists an opportunity for
dating of ancient objects and practices by
tephrochronology.
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