Klaipėdos universitetas

Iron metallurgy in Lithuania has been a little-researched theme so far. More attention has been paid to smithery (Stankus) and iron smelting technologies (Navasaitis), but not much is known about the archaeological finds of iron smelting equipment, their functions, and interconnectedness. Archaeological research of the last few decades in the Kereliai hill-fort (Kupiškis district), Lieporiai (Šiauliai), Kernavė (Širvintai), Bakšiai (Alytus), Žardė (Klaipėda) and Virbaliūnai (Kaunas) settlements, as well as the Lazdininkai (Kretinga) cemetery, has afforded much new data to investigate the iron smelting occupation, and has provided the opportunity to examine more broadly and deeply the problem of iron metallurgy in Lithuania. Iron metallurgy’s research objective includes iron smelting equipment, tools, and the products of manufacture. The sources of research are the iron smelting archaeological finds stored in museums, archaeological research documentation, and reference as well as scientific publications. Part 1 of this article is devoted to an analysis of the archaeological finds related to the preparatory stage of iron smelting and the making of charcoal. Iron ore has been found in Baitai (Klaipėda district), Lieporiai, Norkūnai (Prienai), Lavoriškės (Vilnius) and Krūminiai (Varėna). Roasted ore was additionally found in Varnupiai (Marijampolė) and Lieporiai. Ore washing equipment, roasting pits and crushing tools were found only in Lieporiai. It was established that the hydrated ore in Lieporiai was mined in an open fashion, washed with well water on a wooden flooring, and roasted in open fires in shallow pits. Flat rocks and ground stone were used for crushing and grinding it (comminution). Charcoal for the iron smelting was made in round pits or stacks (Lieporiai, Žygmantiškės).

Unique findings, wells with wooden constructions and buckets made of lime bark in them, were detected recently in the Lieporiai 1 settlement near Šiauliai (in northern Lithuania). These objects were parts of an iron smelting site dated to the fourth to eighth centuries. Reconstructions of the well and the technique of producing lime bark buckets were made by B. Salatkienė and A. Šapaitė. A detailed description of the artefacts and their environment constitutes the first part of this paper, and the technique of reconstruction and producing lime bark buckets forms the second.