Experimental IRON SMELTING - collected documentation for the ongoing series by Darrell Markewitz in Ontario Canada

Experimental IRON SMELTING
2001 - present

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.
This is a record of over 100 bloomery iron smelts in the ongoing series by Darrell Markewitz,
assisted by members of the Dark Ages Re-creation Company.
Wareham, Ontario, Canada is this centre for this practical research into Norse methods for North America.

2026 : The original content has been streamlined into individual topic sections.
This may result in repetition of some elements.
For the original version of this web site : HERE

Experimental Data
Table form, 45 elements for each individual iron smelt
Plus additional tables for specific experimental objectives

Individual Experiment Reports
Sequence Data / Furnace Layout / Description

As individual experimental series

Vinland	Icelandic / Hals	Turf to Tools	Norse Bellows Air	Bog Iron Ore Analog

Publications
List of books, journal articles, conference presentations, commentaries

Practical Guides
Technique instruction for undertaking bloomery iron smelting

Video
Illustrating specific iron smelts

Selected Links

'20 Years Before the Blast'
Experimental Bloomery Iron Smelting 2001 - 2024
with Neil Peterson

ISBN : 978-1-0691597-5-5
March 2025

This 212 page volume is a survey of 101 iron smelting tests by the author and his working team, presented in a more formal academic style. Includes assessments of furnace builds, air systems, ore types and bloom qualities. There are overviews of four major experimental series; iron smelt in Vinland, Icelandic turf walled furnaces, the Turf to Tools project, and Norse Bellows equipment.
8 1/2 x 11 paperback format, 99 colour photographs, 25 illustrations, 48 charts and graphs.

companion to 'Basics of Bloomery Iron Smelting'

Kindle Edition
Amazon Paperback

Basics of Bloomery Iron Smelting

ISBN : 978-1-0691597-2-4
January 2025

This 201 page book outlines the history and functioning methods learned from two decades using small scale smelting furnaces. Topics include ores, furnace builds, air systems, tools, record keeping, and the final bloom to bar. Includes operating instructions for three different furances, everything you need to understand the theory and practice of bloomery iron smelting. With 115 illustrations and colour images (8.5 x 11")

companion to '20 Years Before the Blast'

Kindle Edition
Amazon Paperback

I would like to thank Royal Oak Charcoal who had supported the initial series with the kind donation of the fuel used in the majority of experiments from 2003 to 2008. Each smelt consumes as much as 100 kg of charcoal, and it is safe to say that the commitment to this research program would have proved impossible without Royal Oak's generous support.

Thanks goes to McDonald's Home Hardware of Dundalk Ontario.
Owners Glen and Brent McDonald have patiently helped with many strange requests for over 35 years. More importantly, since 2009 they have provided much of the charcoal at reduced costs. (Starting with the 'Vinland' series of smelts).

The 'Turf to Tools - TWO' project, at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, September / October 2016,
was supported by a
Crafts Projects - Creation and Development Grant.
The Ontario Arts Council is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

The original Project Grant covered air travel to Scotland and four weeks on the Turf to Tools Two project. I was able to apply additional funding to extend the trip for an additional three weeks to cover:
• Participation in the Ypres 2016
International Blacksmith's event
• Participation in the ARTEfakty Iron Smelting event
• Research at the Scottish Crannog Centre

Those interested in tracing the activities, check the many postings on the blog over September & October, 2016

The 'Turf to Tools - Part ONE' project, at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, August 2014,

was in part supported by a Travel Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $157 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country.
Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 157 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

'Iron Blooms to Working Bars' was a special project from February 15 to May 15, 2012.
It was supported by a Crafts Projects - Creation and Development Grant.
The Ontario Arts Council is an agency of the Government of Ontario.
The purpose of the grant was to cover three months dedicated time to allow development of a practical understanding of how to covert raw blooms into working bars, and if time permits, into finished objects. Part of the process will be to document the ongoing project, and publish the results via a dedicated blog, this web site, and through demonstrations, formal papers or journal articles.

Introduction to Smelting Iron

This roughly 20 hour session will involve the student in the construction and operation of the 'EconoNorse' small scale iron smelter. On Friday evening students will cover the theoretical and historical background of smelting iron: ores, furnaces, process, equipment. Saturday students will build the furnace itself, plus prepare charcoal and ore. An early start for a LONG day Sunday will start with the pre-heating the furnace. The actual process of the smelt takes roughly 6 - 8 hours. After this, the resulting iron bloom will be extracted from the furnace, and given a primary consolidation. The iron produced will be cut to sections and shared between the participants. This program does not require any previous metalworking experience, and is of interest to students of history as well as blacksmiths.
For more details on this special program - go Smelting Course .

The experimental work documented here is supported by
the Wareham Forge

Unless otherwise indicated :
All text and photographs © Darrell Markewitz, the Wareham Forge.

		'20 Years Before the Blast' Experimental Bloomery Iron Smelting 2001 - 2024 with Neil Peterson ISBN : 978-1-0691597-5-5 March 2025 This 212 page volume is a survey of 101 iron smelting tests by the author and his working team, presented in a more formal academic style. Includes assessments of furnace builds, air systems, ore types and bloom qualities. There are overviews of four major experimental series; iron smelt in Vinland, Icelandic turf walled furnaces, the Turf to Tools project, and Norse Bellows equipment. 8 1/2 x 11 paperback format, 99 colour photographs, 25 illustrations, 48 charts and graphs. companion to 'Basics of Bloomery Iron Smelting' Kindle Edition Amazon Paperback
		Basics of Bloomery Iron Smelting ISBN : 978-1-0691597-2-4 January 2025 This 201 page book outlines the history and functioning methods learned from two decades using small scale smelting furnaces. Topics include ores, furnace builds, air systems, tools, record keeping, and the final bloom to bar. Includes operating instructions for three different furances, everything you need to understand the theory and practice of bloomery iron smelting. With 115 illustrations and colour images (8.5 x 11") companion to '20 Years Before the Blast' Kindle Edition Amazon Paperback

	I would like to thank Royal Oak Charcoal who had supported the initial series with the kind donation of the fuel used in the majority of experiments from 2003 to 2008. Each smelt consumes as much as 100 kg of charcoal, and it is safe to say that the commitment to this research program would have proved impossible without Royal Oak's generous support.
	Thanks goes to McDonald's Home Hardware of Dundalk Ontario. Owners Glen and Brent McDonald have patiently helped with many strange requests for over 35 years. More importantly, since 2009 they have provided much of the charcoal at reduced costs. (Starting with the 'Vinland' series of smelts).
	The 'Turf to Tools - TWO' project, at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, September / October 2016, was supported by a Crafts Projects - Creation and Development Grant. The Ontario Arts Council is an agency of the Government of Ontario. The original Project Grant covered air travel to Scotland and four weeks on the Turf to Tools Two project. I was able to apply additional funding to extend the trip for an additional three weeks to cover: • Participation in the Ypres 2016 International Blacksmith's event • Participation in the *ARTEfakty* Iron Smelting event • Research at the *Scottish Crannog Centre* Those interested in tracing the activities, check the many postings on the blog over September & October, 2016
	The 'Turf to Tools - Part ONE' project, at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, August 2014, was in part supported by a Travel Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $157 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 157 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.
	'Iron Blooms to Working Bars' was a special project from February 15 to May 15, 2012. It was supported by a Crafts Projects - Creation and Development Grant. The Ontario Arts Council is an agency of the Government of Ontario. The purpose of the grant was to cover three months dedicated time to allow development of a practical understanding of how to covert raw blooms into working bars, and if time permits, into finished objects. Part of the process will be to document the ongoing project, and publish the results via a dedicated blog, this web site, and through demonstrations, formal papers or journal articles.