Vodyasov E.V.  

Iron Ore Mining in Traditional Siberian Metallurgy: Ethnoarchaeological View

Summary: The article deals with the problem of reconstruction of ways of mining and preparation of iron ore for the iron smelting process in Siberia. Written and archaeological sources show that the main technologies of extraction of iron ore in traditional Siberian metallurgy have not changed for many centuries. It is concluded that in antiquity and the Middle Ages the Siberian smelters could extract siderite ore from the outcrops of river terraces or dig out bog ore that is shallow under the ground. Common actions for all cultures were drying of ore, pre-firing before smelting and crushing ore into powder. Unification of technologies is due not so much to traditions as to the objective universality of the iron-making process because of its general physic-chemical bases.

Keywords: Iron Production, Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnography of Siberia, Archaeological Iron Smelting Sites, Middle Ages