Smithies and forges around the north-eastern Baltic Sea from the 11th to the 17th century AD
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Published
Sep 15, 2021
Abstract
This study focuses on smithy and forge constructions in present day Estonia and Finland. The studied smithies can be divided into three time periods: pre-crusade Late Iron Age (11th–12th centuries); the age of transition (13th and 14th centuries), when foreign craftsmen settled in newly founded towns bringing their own traditions; and the 15–17th centuries, during which rivalry was established between rural and urban smiths. The most visible feature in the smithies – the forge – also changed during this period, evolving from a ground-level forge pit into a massive rectangular raised forge. The latter was adopted following the crusades and continued to be used until the 19th century.
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
Keywords
References
Ainasoja M 2012, ‘Sinisen talon’ kaupunkiarkeologiset kaivaukset, Linnankatu 35a, Turku. Unpublished excavation report, Turun museokeskus, Turku.
Anteins A 1976, Melnais metals Latvija (Riga).
Gustafsson N B 2011, ‘Beyond Wayland – thoughts on early medieval metal workshops in Scandinavia’, Historical Metallurgy 45, 20–31.
Hawthorne J G and Smith C S 1979, Theophilus. On Divers Arts (New York).
Heinonen T 2012, ‘Gubbacka sepikoda – varajane rauakäitlemine Uusimaal’, in E Russow (ed), Padise ja Vantaa: keskaja sild Padise ja Vantaa vahel (Padise), 291–304.
Hoover H and Hoover L H 1950, Georgius Agricola: De re metallica (New York).
Jouttijärvi A 2014, ‘A workshop for the king’, Open Journal of Archaeometry, 2(1), 102–108.
Kaplinski K 1980, Tallinna käsitöölised XIV sajandil (Tallinn).
Koivisto A 2011, Vantaan Länsisalmen Gubbackan arkeologiset tutkimukset vuonna 2010. Unpublished excavation report, Vantaa City Museum, Vantaa.
Kolchin B 1953, Chernoe Metallurgie v Drevnoi Rusi (Moscow).
Leppäaho J 1949, ‘Räisälän Hovinsaaren Tontinmäen paja, sen langanvetovälineet ja langanvedosta (vanutuksesta) yleensäkin’, Suomen Museo 56, 44–93.
Lindman G, Forenius S, Andersson D and Grandin L 2007, Smedjan i Salmered. En medeltida smedja i Landvetter. Västergötland, Landvetters socken, Salmered 1: 306, RAÄ 87. Unpublished excavation report, Riksantikvarieämbetet, Mölndal.
Linnus J 1962, ‘Küla sepikojad Eestis’, Etnograafiamuuseumi aastaraamat 18, 141–175.
Metsallik R 1992, Tartu arheoloogiliste uuringute esialgseid tulemusi. Unpublished Master’s thesis, Laboratory of Archaeology, University of Tartu.
Moilanen M 2011, ‘Forges and smithing hearths of Iron Age blacksmiths’, in J Harjula, M Helamaa and J Haarala (eds), Times, things and places: 36 essays for Jussi-Pekka Taavitsainen (Raisio), 118–129.
Nikolskaya T N 1957, ‘Drevnerusskoye selichtche Lededka’, Sovetskaya Archeologia 3/1957, 176–197.
Peets J 2003, The power of iron: Iron production and blacksmithy in Estonia and neighbouring areas in prehistoric period and the middle ages (Tallinn: Research into Ancient Times 12).
Peets J, Saage R and Maldre L 2013, ‘The medieval and early modern smithy site of Käku. Excavations in 2006–2012’, Arheoloogilised välitööd estis = Archeological fieldwork in Estonia 2012, 93–108.
Pleiner R 2006, Iron in archaeology: early European blacksmiths (Prague).
Pärn A 1990, ‘Forchungsarbeiten in der Altstadt und der Bischofsburg zu Haapsalu’, Eesti NSV Teaduste Akadeemia Toimetised. Ühiskonnateadused 1990, 39/4, 438−445.
Pärn A 1991, Haapsalu, Jaani tn. 4 1988-90. a. arheoloogiliste uurimistööde aruanne. Unpublished excavation report, Läänemaa museum, Haapsalu.
Pärn A 2004, ‘Külaehitiste jäljed Haapsalu varases linnaehituses’, in A Haak, E Russow and A Tvauri (eds), Linnusest ja linnast: uurimusi Vilma Trummali auks [About hillfort and town: studies in honour of Vilma Trummal] (Tallinn−Tartu: Muinasaja Teadus 14), 269−289.
Pärn A and Russow E 2006, ‘Handwerk in den Kleinstädten Estlands im 13. bis 17. Jahrhundert im Spiegel der archäologischen Ausgrabungen’, in M Gläser (ed), Lübecker Kolloquim zur Stadtarchäologie im Hanseraum V: Das Handwerk (Lübeck), 483–496.
Püüa G 2013. Arheoloogilised uuringud ja järelevalve Kuressaare kindluse territooriumil 2012. aastal. Unpublished excavation report, Saaremaa museum, Kuressaare.
Saage R, Peets J, Tiidu E and Maldre L 2015, ‘New Research Results From the Smithy Site of Käku in 2013–2014.’ Arheoloogilised välitööd Eestis = Archeological fieldwork in Estonia 2014, 193–204.
Schütte S 1984, 5 Jahre Stadtarchäologie: das neue Bild des alten Göttingen (Göttingen).
Selirand J 1973a, Aruanne arheoloogilistest kaevamistest Kuressaare piiskopilinnuses 1972. aastal. Unpublished excavation report, Saaremaa museum, Kuressaare.
Selirand J 1973b, ‘Raskopki na territorii Kuressaareskogo episkogo zamka’, Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1972 goda (Moskva), 402–403.
Sepp T 1991, ‘Raua impordist keskaegses Eestis’, Kleio 4, 6–10.
Smith C S and Gnudi M T 1990, The Pirotechnia of Vannoccio Biringuccio: The classic sixteenth century: Treatise on metals and metallurgy (New York).
Zaitseva I 2012, ‘The manufacture of jewellery in rural settlements on the northern fringe of medieval Russia’, in M Brisbane, N Makarov and E Nosov (eds), The archaeology of medieval Novgorod in context: studies in centre/periphery relations (Oxford), 76–105.
Wigren S and Lamm K 1984, Excavations at Helgö IX. Finds, features and functions (Stockholm).
Willim A and Grandin L 2010, Medeltida smide i Vanda. Okulär och metallografisk undersökning av material från en smedja. Riksantikvarieämbetets Arkeologiska Uppdragsverksamhet Geoarkeologiskt Laboratorium, rapport 2010: 2. Unpublished metallographic investigation report, Riksantikvarieämbetet, Uppsala.
Anteins A 1976, Melnais metals Latvija (Riga).
Gustafsson N B 2011, ‘Beyond Wayland – thoughts on early medieval metal workshops in Scandinavia’, Historical Metallurgy 45, 20–31.
Hawthorne J G and Smith C S 1979, Theophilus. On Divers Arts (New York).
Heinonen T 2012, ‘Gubbacka sepikoda – varajane rauakäitlemine Uusimaal’, in E Russow (ed), Padise ja Vantaa: keskaja sild Padise ja Vantaa vahel (Padise), 291–304.
Hoover H and Hoover L H 1950, Georgius Agricola: De re metallica (New York).
Jouttijärvi A 2014, ‘A workshop for the king’, Open Journal of Archaeometry, 2(1), 102–108.
Kaplinski K 1980, Tallinna käsitöölised XIV sajandil (Tallinn).
Koivisto A 2011, Vantaan Länsisalmen Gubbackan arkeologiset tutkimukset vuonna 2010. Unpublished excavation report, Vantaa City Museum, Vantaa.
Kolchin B 1953, Chernoe Metallurgie v Drevnoi Rusi (Moscow).
Leppäaho J 1949, ‘Räisälän Hovinsaaren Tontinmäen paja, sen langanvetovälineet ja langanvedosta (vanutuksesta) yleensäkin’, Suomen Museo 56, 44–93.
Lindman G, Forenius S, Andersson D and Grandin L 2007, Smedjan i Salmered. En medeltida smedja i Landvetter. Västergötland, Landvetters socken, Salmered 1: 306, RAÄ 87. Unpublished excavation report, Riksantikvarieämbetet, Mölndal.
Linnus J 1962, ‘Küla sepikojad Eestis’, Etnograafiamuuseumi aastaraamat 18, 141–175.
Metsallik R 1992, Tartu arheoloogiliste uuringute esialgseid tulemusi. Unpublished Master’s thesis, Laboratory of Archaeology, University of Tartu.
Moilanen M 2011, ‘Forges and smithing hearths of Iron Age blacksmiths’, in J Harjula, M Helamaa and J Haarala (eds), Times, things and places: 36 essays for Jussi-Pekka Taavitsainen (Raisio), 118–129.
Nikolskaya T N 1957, ‘Drevnerusskoye selichtche Lededka’, Sovetskaya Archeologia 3/1957, 176–197.
Peets J 2003, The power of iron: Iron production and blacksmithy in Estonia and neighbouring areas in prehistoric period and the middle ages (Tallinn: Research into Ancient Times 12).
Peets J, Saage R and Maldre L 2013, ‘The medieval and early modern smithy site of Käku. Excavations in 2006–2012’, Arheoloogilised välitööd estis = Archeological fieldwork in Estonia 2012, 93–108.
Pleiner R 2006, Iron in archaeology: early European blacksmiths (Prague).
Pärn A 1990, ‘Forchungsarbeiten in der Altstadt und der Bischofsburg zu Haapsalu’, Eesti NSV Teaduste Akadeemia Toimetised. Ühiskonnateadused 1990, 39/4, 438−445.
Pärn A 1991, Haapsalu, Jaani tn. 4 1988-90. a. arheoloogiliste uurimistööde aruanne. Unpublished excavation report, Läänemaa museum, Haapsalu.
Pärn A 2004, ‘Külaehitiste jäljed Haapsalu varases linnaehituses’, in A Haak, E Russow and A Tvauri (eds), Linnusest ja linnast: uurimusi Vilma Trummali auks [About hillfort and town: studies in honour of Vilma Trummal] (Tallinn−Tartu: Muinasaja Teadus 14), 269−289.
Pärn A and Russow E 2006, ‘Handwerk in den Kleinstädten Estlands im 13. bis 17. Jahrhundert im Spiegel der archäologischen Ausgrabungen’, in M Gläser (ed), Lübecker Kolloquim zur Stadtarchäologie im Hanseraum V: Das Handwerk (Lübeck), 483–496.
Püüa G 2013. Arheoloogilised uuringud ja järelevalve Kuressaare kindluse territooriumil 2012. aastal. Unpublished excavation report, Saaremaa museum, Kuressaare.
Saage R, Peets J, Tiidu E and Maldre L 2015, ‘New Research Results From the Smithy Site of Käku in 2013–2014.’ Arheoloogilised välitööd Eestis = Archeological fieldwork in Estonia 2014, 193–204.
Schütte S 1984, 5 Jahre Stadtarchäologie: das neue Bild des alten Göttingen (Göttingen).
Selirand J 1973a, Aruanne arheoloogilistest kaevamistest Kuressaare piiskopilinnuses 1972. aastal. Unpublished excavation report, Saaremaa museum, Kuressaare.
Selirand J 1973b, ‘Raskopki na territorii Kuressaareskogo episkogo zamka’, Arkheologicheskiye otkrytiya 1972 goda (Moskva), 402–403.
Sepp T 1991, ‘Raua impordist keskaegses Eestis’, Kleio 4, 6–10.
Smith C S and Gnudi M T 1990, The Pirotechnia of Vannoccio Biringuccio: The classic sixteenth century: Treatise on metals and metallurgy (New York).
Zaitseva I 2012, ‘The manufacture of jewellery in rural settlements on the northern fringe of medieval Russia’, in M Brisbane, N Makarov and E Nosov (eds), The archaeology of medieval Novgorod in context: studies in centre/periphery relations (Oxford), 76–105.
Wigren S and Lamm K 1984, Excavations at Helgö IX. Finds, features and functions (Stockholm).
Willim A and Grandin L 2010, Medeltida smide i Vanda. Okulär och metallografisk undersökning av material från en smedja. Riksantikvarieämbetets Arkeologiska Uppdragsverksamhet Geoarkeologiskt Laboratorium, rapport 2010: 2. Unpublished metallographic investigation report, Riksantikvarieämbetet, Uppsala.
How to Cite
Smithies and forges around the north-eastern Baltic Sea from the 11th to the 17th century AD. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 51(1), 13-21. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/46
Issue
Section
Articles
