Human and Environment Interactions in the Environs of Prehistorical Iron Smelting Places in Silesia, Poland
Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Within the framework of the interdisciplinary research project (A-5-2) “Iron mining in the Przeworsk Culture” of the Cluster of Excellence Exc264 Topoi, this doctoral thesis deals with the human-environment interactions of early iron smelting in the Widawa catchment area in Lower Silesia, Poland. In this area, which belongs to the southwestern primary distribution area of the Przeworsk culture, a cluster of iron slag sites from the pre-Roman Iron Age and early Roman period is situated. It is assumed that with the emergence of this culture (approximately 2nd century BCE) the technology of iron smelting, originating from the Near East, has been introduced to this area. In order to enable this, respective requirements in terms of the resource situation and landscape conditions needed to be met. Vice versa, deforestation and exploitation of required resources and the smelting activities influenced the landscape development. This study focuses on three approaches in the context of human and environment interactions in regard to early iron smelting: (i) a resource approach investigating the general resource situation, the favorability for bog iron ores and the geochemical and mineralogical composition of local ores and prehistoric slags; (ii) a landscape approach applying a minimally invasive strategy based on geological and geomorphological mappings, percussion drillings and radiocarbon datings and (iii) an environmental approach focusing on small-scale geochemical impacts of human activities at furnace locations of the prehistoric smelting site of Pielgrzymowice. Apart from iron ore, considerations on the resource potential implied no scarcity of the required resources during early iron smelting. Distributions of iron contents in receiving waters and presently available bog iron ores indicate a strong correlation with a local cluster of prehistoric slag sites. Slags, collected from these sites, show a similar geochemical composition as slags from other centers of early iron production. In the vicinity of two local sites, Rychnów and Pielgrzymowice, human-induced landscape changes in the temporal context of early iron smelting could be substantiated in alluvial fan respectively slope deposits. On the micro-scale geochemically investigated stove and pile remains at Pielgrzymowice show increased but uncritical heavy metal contents. Human activities in the spatial-temporal context of iron smelting left marks that are even today noticeable in the regional sediment archives. Thus, iron smelting not only had a discernible impact on the human development in general, but also on the landscape in Silesia.
Author: Thelemann, Michael
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2491021728