The Little Bowl That Could! Experimental Iron Smelting in a Bowl Furnace

Abstract

The bowl furnace has been a somewhat neglected topic in the early history of iron making, often overshadowed in experimental work by the shaft furnace. This assessment attempts to re-evaluate the position of the bowl furnace in early iron-making - firstly by looking at how it is regarded in scholarly literature, and secondly, through an experimental reconstruction programme.

Keywords

• iron age
• united kingdom
• furnace
• kiln or oven
• iron
• smelting