Experimental Iron Smelting in a Bowl Furnance

This paper investigates the possibilities of smelting iron in a bowl hearth. The programme of experimental work seeks to expand on previous theoretical and experimental work conducted on bowl hearth iron smelting. The hearth constructed for this experiment is a different design to that from previous experiments, with the air input positioned at the top of the hearth rather than the bottom. This paper presents the archaeological and theoretical background for the experiment, methodology and results of the experiment, microscopic analysis of the metallurgical materials produced, as well as a discussion of the results.