ABSTRACT
The composition of bog iron ore found in the vicinity is given; it shows a very high manganese content which should be reflected in the slag analyses. The splitting of blooms to test their purity was common in Iceland in medieval times. In the period there are the first signs of mining activity on a small scale with the aid of pits. The ore would tend to get broken up during roasting if it was of the carbonate or limonite type, owing to the evolution of carbon dioxide and water. The furnace was set beside a low wall which acted as a partition to protect the bellows from the dust and heat of the smelting furnace. The use of steel for cutting edges is now spread and its heat treatment reaches a very high level in a large number of the artifacts examined. Clearly, the Migration peoples brought with them a high level of smithing technology.
