Communication 22 1979

Archeologické rozhledy XXXI(1), 1979, 105-113 COMITE POUR LA SIDERURGIE ANCIENNE de l'Union internationale des sciences prehistoriques et protohistoriques w. U. ｇｵｹ｡ｮＮｾ＠ president R. Pleincr. sccretaire Siege du secretariat : Institut d'archeologie, 118 01 Prague 1, Letenska 4, Tchecoslovaquie Communication 22 NEW MEMBERS: Z. H ensel, Warszawa, Polska CONFERENCES: 45. SITZUNG DES GESCHICHTSAUSSCHUSSES (VEREIN D EUTSCHER EISENHUTTENLEUTE, DUSSELDORF) took place on December 2nd, 1977 at Diisseldorf, Federal Germany. The report by l\-Irs G. Schulz, Hildeshcim, entitled "Archaologischc und wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen sowie Rcnnfeucrversuche zur fruh- und hochmittclalterlichen Eisengewinnung in der Wietze-Niederung b ei HannoverH will be of deep interest to any hi storian of early iron industry. About 1,700 sites of medieval iron making could be r egistered but according to the air r econnaissance their number points to about 13,000. The shape of furnaces can be presupposed thanks to six experimental smelts carried out in low sh aft furnaces (height 110-140 ems). Palaeobotanic research as to the kind of fuel. Dating He: the high Middle Ages with the heavy point in the 13th-14th centuries. Metallography revealcd wrought iron and steel particles. The re spective results will be compiled by the mentioned authoress in a dissertation. RESEARCH CENTRES: CENTRALNE LABORATORIUM INSTYTUTU HISTORII KULTURY MATERIALNEJ PAN, Warszawa. The research and conservation laboratory of the Institute of Material Culture (with the Polish Academy of Sciences) was established in 1963, however, its main tasks were directed to the non-ferrous metallurgy. A research programme relating to the early metallurgy of iron b as been developed si nce 1973. Both mentioned branches fall under the Section of Metallurgy, while there is also another Section, that of Glass. At the head of the laboratory is Prof. Dr. T. Dziek()flski with 9 members on staff. The laboratory is vcry wcll equipped with large and medium dispersion ｳｰ･｣ｴｲｯｧ｡ｨｾＬ＠ a flame ｰｨｯｴｭ･ｲ ｾ＠ DTA. TG and DTG nnalysers, a high temperature microscope, polarisation and metallographic microscopes, an X-ray diffraclion apparatus and an X -ray defectoscope. Investigations of copper and its alloys have taken recently about 60% of capacity, technology of iron objects about 10%, examinations of slags and vaste products about 20 %. Analyses of silver, gold and lead have been also carried out but on a smaller scale. As to the bronze technology there is a catalogue under compilation which is based on finds from the r ecent Polish territory giving their composition, structures, hardness and the like. What concerns the m etallurgy of iron there is of great interest a detailed study of slag blocks from slag pit furnaces from the environments of Warsaw (La Tene and Roman periods). In order to cOlnplete the samples slag finds from the Holy Cross Mountains and from primitive African bloomery furnaces are added. The analyses are complex: chemical, petrographical, X-ray diffraction, tbermical, all of then, pointing to the knowledge of building individual slag blocks which reflect many an unknown physico-chemical process to have occurred during the bloomery smel,t. Comparative observations are foreseen in the future. Mter Z. Hensel, \Varsaw Archeologicke rozhledy XXXI, Praha 1979 105 CENTER FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH IN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY, BOSTON AREA, U.S.A., was established by nine institutions (Boston University. Brandcis University, Harvard UniversitYt the University of Massachussctts, Museum of Fine Arts of Boston, Robert S. Peabody Foundation for Archaeology, Tufts University, Massachussetts Institute of Technology, Wellcsley College) thanks to the grants of the National Endowment for Humanities. The research programme of the above Cent er (CMRAE) will emphasize rigorous laboratory study of artifacts and other kinds of cultural remains in order to determine the nature and structure of the materials and processing regimes they have undergone and it will serve as coordination and programming hoard. Its research activities will be carried out in a network of shared laboratories - including a series of materials research laboratories and a data-processing facility -locatcd at member institutions. The materials research laboratories arc likely to include e. g. ｭ･ｴ｡ｬｵｲｧｹｾ＠ ceramics, lithics, palaeoethnobotany, and zoo-archaeology. Such laboratories already existing at member institutions will be expanded so that they could accommodate larger numbers of workers and research projects. The planning of programs, building up comparative collections as standards for the analysis and identification of archaeological remains from mctals to bones, organizing professional seminars dealing with pressing problems of material research and four-year cycle of inter-institutional courses - these all are the primary tasks for the next three years' period. The director of the eenter is Mrs H. N. Lechtman, the executive officer is Mr. N. Orlen. After the materials of the CMRAE SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY: Excavations: TRACES OF MEDIEVAL BLACKSMITH'S ACTIVITY AT TISOVA, EAST BOHEMIA. The excavations carried out by the Museum at Hradec Kr6.10ve in cooperation with the ａｲ｣ｨ｡･ｯｾ＠ logical Institute, Prague, were focused in 1974-1977 on the medieval site of Stare My to, in the area of Tisova. The complex of buildings arranged along a communication section represents an abandoned part of a medieval town. All over the excavated arca iron slag vastc was dispersed. A certain concentration could be stated in and around the feature no. 15 which was likely to be situated in the closest vicinity of a smithy (not yet excavated). Typical convex shapes together with their macroscopic structure (some of them are quite large, 20 X 17 ems) allow us to interpret this vaste as a smithing slag (i. e. sintered and melted scales, clay and sand from the smith's hearth). Its volume reflects the intensity of production which possibly included also the refining of blooms or bars which came as imports from distant centres. The site is dated into the 13th and to the beginning of the 14th ccnturies; we have obviously to do with the predecessor of the town of Vysokc My to which was founded by the king Premysl Otakar II in the ｳｩｾｴ･＠ of the 13th cent. J. Sigl, Hradec KnHove BLOOMERY FURNACES AT EG, NORWAY. Seven features described as slag pits had been excavated in 1977 by Mrs E. Schaller and Mr. T. B. Nakkerund on the bank of the Otra river near Kristiansand, South Norway. The hearths measured ca. 50 ems in diameter, some of them were stone-lined and explained as bowl furnaces , others were considered as low shaft furnaces. It may be of interest that according to the analyses made in Messtrolld, the first type contained slag of a Iow silica content (5-18%), whereas shaft furnaces yielded normal bloomery slag with ca. 25% 5i02 • The site is situated on the southern coast in an area abounding in Roman Iron Age finds, their frequency there being higher than in other regions. A circular area demarcated by 15 postholes was aside of the furnace remains. Two dates HC point to 290 and 360 AD. Mter E. SchaUcr (Mrs), T. B. Nakkerund and I. Martens,Oslo LODENICE, BOHEMIA: A SETTLEMENT WITH BLOOMERY FURNACES REDISCOVERED. During building operations at Jansk.I-Lodcnice, Central Bohemia, a slag-pit furnace appeared in the profile of a ditch as a part of a sunken-floored bloom cry, Its preserved height was 88 ems, the inner diameter of the slag-pit (with the slag block rcmov('d after the last smelt) measured 24 ems. It was s.omewhat wider in the mouth level apparently to make the extracting of the gloaming conglomerate easier. It seems most likely ihat this was simultaneously the position of the air-inlet from the bellows. According to a local information further similar furnaces had been destroyed at the same site in previous times. Considering several pottery fragments the furnace in quc8tion may he of the early Romano-Barbari,m period in Bohemia. It should he fllentioned that in the distance of about 300 m there is the finding place of a known fully preserved free standing shaft furnace (1923) which serves as a model of a smelting device in the category of day low shaft furnaces (type of Lodenice - late Roman period). The ancient metallurgy of iron exploited there obviously gossans from local deposits of the iron ore of the Nucice type, which is a sort of chamosite. Rescue operations with the aid of geophysical prospection are orga· nized by the Archaeological Institute, Prague. N. Venclova, Prague M etallography: INVESTIGATIONS OF ANCIENT GREEK IRON TRIPOD-LEGS FROM OLYMPIA. In Athens, 17 iron legs from cauldron tripods once found at Olympia by the Deutsches Archaeo· logisches Institut and belonging to the Geometric and Archaic periods have been recently investigated. Specimens from 8 pieces could be taken for metallographical and chemical investigation. An atomic absorption spectrophotometer is proposed to be used for testing the complex composition including trace elements. G. Varollfakis, Athens BIBLIOGRAPHY 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975 (Supplements) A. Specialized items N. MAGHIAR - ;;. OLTEANU: Din istoria minerituJui in Romania (in Roumanian: A history of mining in Roumania). ｂｵ｣ｲ･ｾｴｩ＠ 1970. Milling of iron ore and smelting of iron mentioned, namely on p. 36 (beginnings of the metallurgy of iron in Roumania), pp. 47-52 (Roman period, mines, bloomeries, sites of Teliuc and Ghelar), pp. 104,-106 (Early Middle Ages, iron smelting at HJincea, 13th cent. AD). ;;. OLTEANU, see N. MAGHIAR, above. J. PIASKOWSKI: 0 staJi damascenskiej (summary in English: About Damascene Steel). Wroclaw-Warszawa-Krak6w-Gdaiisk 1974., 366 p., 170 Figs. The book arriving with a certain delay to be registered in our abstracts, presents a general survey of data relating to the ｰｲｯ･ｬﾷｴｩｳｾ＠ technology and history of investigation of the ｾｯＭ｣｡ｕ･､＠ Damascene steel. Contents: Part One, General information: I On HDamascene" blades or scimitars, 11 Ho'w the pattern on the surface of steel blades is produced, III On other ornamental blades; Part Two, The development of the Damascene steel: IV The beginnings of examinations of Indian stee1, V The first examinations of sword blades from the Near East and defining of the chemical composition of Damascene steel, VI The adopting of modern methods of physical metallurgy in research on Damascene steel; Part Three: Attempts to produce Damascene swords in Europe, VII Experiments in the production of Damascene swords in Western Europe, VIII The work of Major-General Paul Piotrovitch Anossoff, IX P. P. Anossoff's successors; Part Four: Damascene Steel in historiea] written sources and accounts of travellers in India and the Near East: X Damasccne steel in the works of authors from ancient times and mediaeval ｳｯｵｲ｣･ｾ＠ XI Information on Damascene steel in accounts (sic) by French travellers of the XVI- XVlIIth centuries, XII The production of Damascene swords in India and the Near East, according to accounts of the XIXth- and XXthcentury; Conclusion. Bibliography. Summary. The headings of individual chapters have been taken from the summary by B. Przybylska. The author presents his own definition of the Damascene steel which - in his view - is an iron-carbon alloy comprising two structural components of differring resistance in relation to diluted acids where the grains, as the result of a special heat treatment, become visible with the naked eye. If one of the components be ferrite then we have to deal with soft Damascene steel (cooled slowly within 910°-723°C); if it be cementite then hard Damascene steel is involved where the pattern is due to slow cooling from 1145° to 723 0 C; forging and hardening temperatures eould not exceed these limits. The manufacture of Damascene steel is onc of the most interesting episodes in the general history of the metallurgy of iron which has fallen into oblivion and - in spite of later experimental work - it stil1lacks its place in modern technology. R. THOMSEN: Et meget maerkeligt metal (ill Danish: A curious metal). Vardc Staalvaerk, Varde 1975. A populnr account of the early history of iron compiled for Danish technologists. It is completed by some valuable results achieved by the author in the field of metalIographical research of ancient iron artifacts. A special attention deserves a group of sections of patternwelded swords from the lIIcrup moor deposit (Roman period). B. History of iron as mentioned in other publications (1971, 1975) R. HACHULSKA-LEDWOS (Mrs.): Wczesnosredniowieczna osada w Nowej Hucie-Mogile (Summary: An Early Medieval Village at Nowa Huta-Mogila). :rt:£aterialy Archcologiezne Nowej Huiy Ill, Krak6w 1971. An early medieval axe-shaped iron bar discovered in a pit at Nowa Huta-Mogila, mild steel (0,2-0,3 % C), p. 205. G. GOMOLKA, see below. DIE ROMER AN RHEIN UND DONAU. Berlin 1975. The relevant chapter on the Roman metal working is written by G. Gomolka (MI5), pp. 189-230. It gives some interesting data on the specialization of the blacksmith's craft in the Central European Roman frontier provinces and smithies in different types of settlement. Ii'. PRENDI: Un apcrC1u sW' la ｣ｩｶｬｾ｡ｴｯｮ＠ de la premiere periode du fer en Albanie. IIiria III 1975 (Tirana), 109-129. For a similar version see the article by the same author in: Jadranska ob.la u protohistoriji, Zagreb 1975 (1976), 155- 175; cf. our Communication 21, AR 30 1978, 329. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1976 A. Specialized items M. KREPS: Hnmry v ceskem a moravskcm zelezarstvi (in Czech: Hammer mills in the history of the Bohemian and Moravian iron industry). Technicko-ekoDomicky vyzkumny ustav hutnickeho prumyslu - Rada pojednuni z dejin ceskoslovenskeho hutnictvi zeleza 11. Praha 1976. The first written evidence on hammer-mills in BohelUia and Moravia dates from the early 14th" century. In the scope of written sources Central Europe seems to be retarded in comparison with its close western and northern vicinity by about one century. 108 J. PIASKO,,\VSKI: Mcta]oznawcze badunia przedmiotow zclaznych i zllila z wczesnosredniowieczncj osady w Nowej Hucie-Mogile (Summary: Metallographic investigations of iron objects and slag samples fl'om early medieval settlement at Nowa Huta-l\fogila). MateriaJy Archeologicznc Nowej Huty V 1976, 181-199. Twenty investigated implements from different siteleveis(6th to 10th centuries AD}. :r,.Iainly knives manufactured both with the simplest and sophisticated techniques, a wrought iron axe head and an axe-shaped iron bar, here described as ferritic (see the article by R. Hachulska-Ledwo., in this issue, p. 108). The analysis of bloomery slag indicates the smelting of bog iroll ores (P-colllcnts). I: SARLVIK (Mrs): Jarnframstallning i Ryd (in Swedish - Iron production at Ryd). Viistergotlands fornrninnesforenings Tidskrift 1975/76 (Skara) , 10S- llS. During excavations at Ryd, south Sweden, Ingcgerd Sarlvik discovered many pits, a good deal of which (225) contained iron slag (diameters from 0,5 up to 2,5 m). According to her interpretation they could - in fact be slag pit furnaces, especially those of smaller dimensions. The dating is still problematic: two radiocarbon dates indicate the pre-Viking period (700 ± 100, 830 ± 145 AD), tbe third date points to 210 ± 100 B. C. No profiles of slag pits are added. B. G. SCOTT: Metal10graphic and chemical studies on a group of iron artifacts from the excavations at Greeneastle, County Down. Ulster Journal of Archaeology (HIrd Ser.) 39 1976, 42- 47. More than 40 knives and a sword (13th-16th ccnturies AD) examined: various combinations of wrought iron and hard steel in the construction of blades were observed and analyzed, in addition to simple mild steel or wrought iron knives. B. History of iron as mentioned in other publications (1976) H. F. MULLER: nas alamannische Graberfeld von Hcmmingcn (Kreis Ludwigsburg). Stuttgart 1976. Three spalhae found in graves, one of tbem pattern-welded. About 500 AD. W. RODWELL: Iron Pokers of La Time II- I1I. The Archaeological Journal of the Royal Archaeological Institute, London 133 1976 (1977), 4.3-49. Typology of European iron pokers with flattened tips in the light of finds of Wisham, Essex. Many of these pokers found use in smithies for keeping charcoal heap in the hearth. F. SCHLETTE: Kelten zwischen Alesia und Pergamon. Leipzig-Jena-Berlin 1976. The chapter on "Smiths and Farmers" brings several remarks on iron working crafts which are based on finds of hoards and bloomery furnaces in Bohemia. Central Germany and Bavaria. cf. p. 57. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1977 A . Specialized items S. O. BELYAYEVA - D. P. NEDOPAKO -I. P. MOSKALENKO: Pro seredn'ovicne cavunolyvarne vyrobnyctvo (in UkraInian - On the medieval cast iron production). Archeolohiya (Kyiv) 231977,78-87. Cast iron products found at Ozaryci contain 3,24-4,6% C being low in Mn, Si and S but high in P. Thus their properties differ but little from the Volga Bolgar specimens, 109 however, the difference is striking ill comparison with the Mongolian cast irons. An intentional addition of P is taken into account as well. All specimens are fragments of cauldrons dating from the 12th-14th centuries AD. The question of local production remains unsolved. B. CHROPOVSKY, sce La Formation, p. below. J. EMMERLING: Technologische Untersuchungen an Griffen und Scheidcnumbordelungen von latenczcitlichen Schwcrtern aus Miinsillgen (Schweiz). Alt-Thiiringcn 14· 1977, 186-193. A careful conservation work with completely corroded specimens made possible useful observations as to the construction of sword hilts (rivetting, wood inlays) and sheet scabbards (overlapped rims). J. EMMERLING: Die Rontgenaufnahme, ein wichtiges Mittel zur optimalen Auswertung arehiiologiseber Funde. Alt-Thiiringen 14 1977, 285-291. The role of X-ray defecloseo!'y of a rusted iron artifact as illustrated thanks to the 9th century AD objects found in the cemetery of Grollschwahhausen. Identification of forgeries , discovery of a ｰ｡ｴ･ｲｮｾｷｬ､＠ inlay in the blade of a sax, reconstruction of the original shape of artifacts, etc. V. GROLICH, see Rozpravy, p. Ill. A. HARTEIG, see La formation, p. below. G. HECKENAST, sec La formation, ibidem. D. A. KHAKHUTAISVILI: Novootkrytye pamyatniki drevnekolehidskoy metallurgii zelcza (in Russian: Recent discoveries concerning the metallurgy of iron in ancieni Kolchis). Kratkiye soobsceniya 151 1977,29-33. Another account of excavations in early hloomery sites in Kolchis (western Georgia) the suggested date of ·w hich is the 9th century BC. Stone fitted smelting hearths. Individual sites appear only in captions to figures. B. A. KOLCIN, ef. La formation, p. below. LA FORMATION ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT DES METIERS AU MOYEN AGE (V'-XIV' siecles). Budapest 1977. The volume contains a part of papers read at the occasion of a symposium held at Budapest in October 1973. Allusions to early iron production appear in the following contributions: B. A. Kolcin: RemesIo i remeslenniki drevnego Novgoroda (Crafts and artisans of the ancient Novgorod), 14-46. The development of handicrafts during four periods from 950 up to 1570 at Novgorod Velikiy, North Russia. 22 special branches working with iron. Production of steel of different qualities from imported hlooms. B. Chropovskf: Zur Entwicklung der spezialisierten Handwerksproduktion im 8.-9. Jh. auf dem Gebict del' 51owakei. 47- 54. General remarks. A. Harteig: Handwcrk"und Handwerker in Norwegen vom Ende der VOlkerwanderungszeh bis rur Reformation, bcleuchtet an Hand archllologischer Materialien, 55-62. Social position of blacksmiths, iron working in RonsdaI (trading post of Veoy. supplying of same with wrought iron, the problem of itinerant smiths). Z. Raje·wski: Vher Waffenproduzenten bei den Slawen im friihen 1\1i ttelalter, 73-79: Onomastic sources concerned with the production of weapons and arms in the western Slavic countries during the early Middle Ages. G. Hcckenast: Eisenverhiittung in Ungarn im 9.-14. Jahrhundert: 85-94. Watcrdriven hammer-mills attested in Hungary in the 14th century; results of excavations at bloomery sites (G. Novaki et al.). I. LEHNERT (Mrs), sec O. Sehaaber, p. Ill. R. MADDIN· J. D. MUHLY· T . S. WHEELER (Mrs): How the Iron Age Began. Scientific American 237/4. October 1977, 122- 131. The technology of some specimens fconl the Near East (Tell Farah South, 7th century BC, Ai Mina 4th century BC, Mount Adir) serves as an example of theoretic consideration directed to the early application of carburization, quenchiug and tempering processes ill the development of the blacksmith's craft. R. MADDIN, see J. D. Muhly, below. A. MAZUR - E. M. NOSEK (Mrs): Badania mctaloznawcze cztcrech tzw. szpil pierzsecioniov.'atych z Opola-Ostr6wka. Archcologia Polski 22-2 1977,4·54-4,59. The contribution is n tecbnological appendix to the paper by K. WachOl<ski on the chronology of medieval iron needles with rings (llth- 12th centuries AD). Four of them were examined. They were made of iron or mild steel with elevated phosphorus content, onc piece was covered with copper. I. P. MOSKALENKO, see S. O. Belyayeva, p. 109. J, D. MUHLY - T. S. WHEELER (Mrs) - R. MADDIN: An iron adze of the fifth-four centuries BC from Al Mina. Levant IX 1977 (British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem), 156-161. The iron adze from Al Mina, Sueidia, published by L. Woolley in 1938 has been recently examined. The edge is welded-on (steel with about 0,8 % C), air cooled. J . D. MUHLY, see R. M.ddin, above. H. MULLER, see 0, Sch.aber, below. D. P . NEDOPAKO, see S. O. Belyayeva, p . 109. E. M. NOSEK (Mrs), see A. MazuT, above. A, PAWLOWSKI: Dymarki z Dobrzenia Malego (in Polish - Bloomery furnaces found at Dobrzen Maly), Z Otchlani Wiek6w 43 1977/1,5-8, Six slag pit furnaces of the Late Roman period (2nd-4th centuries AD), rosting and reheating hearths, iron picks found near Opole, Silesia. R. PLEINER, see Rozpravy, below. Z. RAJEWSKI, see La formation, p. llO. ROZPRAVY NARODNIHO TECHNICKEHO MUZEA V PRAZE 69, Praha 1977 - Z Df:JIN HUTNICTVI 4. The following papers deal with the early iron production: R. Pleiner: Nove vyzkumy k pocatkum hutnictvi 'elcz. v Ceskoslovensku (Summary: New research of the beginning of iron metallurgy in Czechoslovakia), 7-11. The paper is an abstract of a contribution to the symposium HArchaologische Eisenforschung: in Europa held at Eisenstadt, 1975. V. GroUch· V. Souchopova: Uiiti gcofyzikalnich mereni pri zjistov6.ni lokalit zelezarskych pecf, 13-23. H (Summary: Verwendung der geophysikalischen Messungen zur Feststellung der Eisenofenlokalitaten), 13-23, Geophysical prospection of b100mery sites near Sudice, Moravia. Roman period. O. SCHAABER - H. MULLER - I. LEHNERT (Mrs): Metallkundliche Untersuchungen zur Friihgeschichte der Metallurgie. Archiiologie und Naturwissenschaften 1 1977 (Mainz), 221- 268. The fir st of the authors, the director of the Institut fiir Hlirterei-Technik at Bremen, Germany, undertook further research of La Tene a-nd Roman period artifacts in order to find out whether the manufacture of all· steel implements used to be applied also in other parts of the ancient Roman world outside Noricum. He could state hard steels (also with hypereutectoid carbon 111 content) in too ls and fittings from Karlstcin (Noricum), Numantia (Spain), Caccres (Spain), Ephesus (Turkey). Other objects had welded-on steel parts. T he laboratory works with cylindrical microspecimens taken from various parts of the body of the artifact by a high tension proceeding. Thanks to this method the possible damage of originals is excluded, but, on the other hand, only the reconstruction of the complex structure distribution is possible. The resuJts of the present study indicate that the use of hard steels must have been more common in the antiquity than originally presupposed. B. G. SCOTT: MetaIlographic study of some early iron tools and weapons from Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 77 C(12 1977 (Dublin), 301-317. Different techniques of welding together iron and steel are well documented Oll lance heads and axe blades from Irish sites dated to the 6th--9th centuries AD. v. SOUCHOpovA, see Rozpravy, p. 111. G. SPERL: Die eisernen Fibeln der Hallstattzeit aus ｌ･ｯ｢ｮｾｈｩｴｲｨｧＮ＠ Der Leobener Strauss 5 1977,9- 11. Completely corroded iron fibulae from a Hallstatt cemetery at ｌ･ｯ｢ｮｾｈｩｴｲｧ＠ were submitted to the electron microprobe analysis. It was stated that the artifacts could not be made of cast iron. R.-F. VOSS: Grundmuster friihmittelaltedicher Schweissdamaszierungen. Uhren und Schmuck 1977/3 (Berlin), 86-89. The author aims at the reproduction of some types of pattern-welding on sword blades with the aid of plastic materials in order to obtain some Hew ideas on modern ornamentillg techniques. T. S. WHEELER (Mrs), see R. Maddin, p. Ill , and J. D. Muhly, p. 111. K. WILHELMI: Ein "neuer H , zweiter Barrenfund der vorromischen Eisenzeit nordlich des Rheins. Germania 55 1977, 184-190. The La Tene iron hoard from Ochtrup (blacksmith's tongs, a long hearth poker, a "sword'· bar). eHR. ZINDEL: Prahistorische EisenverhiiUWlg in dce Gegend von Mnrmorera. Helvetia Rnt i"qua No. 29/30 8 1977,58-62. Two smelting hearths and a heap of bloomery slag are described from Graubiindcn, Switzerland. The dating is uncertain but the author takcs into consideration the years about 500 BC (HD3/ LA). B. History of iron as mentioned in other publications (1977) Z. V. ANDREYEVA (Mrs): Primoc'e v epochu pervobytno-obscinnogo stroya - zeleznyy vek. (In Russian - Primor'e in the period of the primeval society - Iron Age). Moskva 1977. The book deals with the archaeology of the far eastern territory of the URSS (early Tunguz settlement) offering completely new materials for the study of the beginning Iron Age in that area. A group of cast iron adzes (Malaya Podusecka, Pescannyy poluostrov,Oleniy) belongs to the assemblage of the Yankovskaya culture (ca. 1000- 600 BC). During the period of the subsequent Korsunovskaya culture (Semipyatnaya, Krounovka), i. e. in the 2nd part of the last millennium BC, the use of iron still remained limited. Stone industry found a parallel use. Full-fledged Iron Age starts with the Ol'gin culture (0-500(600 AD, Sinie skalky) . At that time stone arrow tips wcrc still ill use. See pp. 37 sq., 100 sq., 145 sq . I. CREMOSNIK (Mrs): RalLoslavensko naselje Jazbina u Batkovicu kod Bijeljina (Summary: Die friihslawische Siedlung Jazbina in Batkovic hei Bijeljina). Godisnjak XV, Center za balkano- 112 loska ispitivanja 13. Sarajevo 1977, 227-308. During the excavation of an early medieval Slavic site in Yugoslavia there were explored several features which the author interprets as traces of iron working workshops (No XXVIII: a pit complex with fragments of shaft walls being fragments of bloomery furnaces, Nos XLII and XLIII: presumably reheating hearths). The production seems to have been rather limited. A. KH. KHALIKOV: Volgo-Kam'e v nacale epoehi r.nnego zelez. (VII- VI vv. do n. ery). (In Russian - Volga - Kama region at the beginning of the early iron age, V1Ith- VIth centuries BC). Moskva 1977. Apart from bronze implements the archaeological inventory of the Early Iron Age cultures Ananin and Kazan' contains relatively numerous iron artifacts as knives and axes. U. KOCH (Mrs): Dus Reihengr1iherfeld bei Schretzheim 1-2. Berlin 1977. Among about 100 AJamanic swords (spathae) found in the 6th-7th century AD graves more than 80% were equipped with pattern welded blades. On the contrary, pattern-welding was rarely applied ,vhell making saxes. One sax was made from a damaged pattern-welded sword blade (grave 44·9). V. MINAc: Slovallske sidlisko na Cepang,,-te pri Kutoch, okr. Senica (Summary: SIawische Siedlung in der Flur Cepangat bei Ktity, Bezirk Senica). Zbornfk Slovenskeho narodnebo muzea LXXI 1977 (Bratislava), 85- 101. Revision excavations of a well known locality of the early medieval Slavic site brought to light some features the function of which lnay he connected with the early iron working (reheating processes). A. et M. MULLER-KARPE: Neue latenezeitliche Funde aus dem Hcidetrtink-Oppidum in Taunus. Germania 55 1977, 33-63. Abundant surface finds from a large Celtic oppidum, especially those from the eastern area called the Goldgrube, comprise hundreds of iron objects, among them the following blacksmith's tools: tongs, hammer, four anvils, 8 hearth pokers, two fiat iron bars. M. SULOWSKA (Mrs): Klopoty se skarhem (in Polish: Difficulties with a hoard). Z Otchlani Wiek6w 43 1977/1, 5-8. Discussion on a partially preserved hoard of 12 axe-shaped early medieval iron bars from Piotrawill (Yistula river). Edi ted by R. Pleiner