Iron slags analysis: new contributions to the knowledge of pre-roman iron industry in Spain

Abstract

Iron Age in Spain started with the arrival of the Phoenicians, and it meant the beginning and spread of iron production. Though many archaeological references exist, reliable information about the technology to produce the new metal is scarce. In this article, an analytical and microscopical study of smelting slags and furnace linings is presented reaching the conclusion that pre-Roman iron production was based on small size furnaces, usually without tapping slags. The slags, of irregular compositions, were of fayalite type, containing large amounts of wüstite, magnetite and free silica on some occasions. All these features indicate an unsophisticated iron smelting technology during this period.