A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 41. - 1999 (Nyíregyháza, 1999)

Régészet - Ivan Popovich: Study of the Early Iron Age sites in the Transcarpathian region

Study of the Early Iron Age sites in the Transcarpathian region emerged 10-20 cm above the level of the ancient horizon. The lower part of the furnaces was deepened into the subsoil 25-30 cm deep. So, the preserved parts of the furnaces were at least 30 or 40-50 cm high. All the furnaces were round, their diameter was 40-60 cm. At the industrial space all the furnaces were situated close to each other and their walls were frequently attached. In the process of cleaning the furnaces we could assume that they were filled with porous iron mass mixed with charcoal. At the upper level iron dross pieces were significantly larger. This character of fill could be well traced in furnaces 9, 10, 11, 16 that can be well seen on cross-section AA

v (Fig. 2-3) An analogous picture could be observed during the cleaning of the rest (28) of the furnaces except for the N 28,29. Unsimilarly to the rest of the furnaces they were found not at their primary place and looked as a solid mass in the form of a truncated cone the upper part of which was composed of a light gray formation formed in the process of the smelting of limonite. The height of this secondary product N Fig 2 Irshava, situation of the furnaces. 1 : humus, 2: subsoil, 3: fill of the furnaces, 4: fill of the secondary product, 5: the shape of the demolished furnaces, 6: slag formations, 7: walls of the furnaces, 8: charcoal 2. kép IlosvaЯrsava, a kohók elhelyezkedése. 1 : humusz, 2: altalaj, 3: a kohók betöltése, 4: a kohászati melléktermék betöltődése, 5 : a megsemmisített kohók körvonala, 6: salak-koncentrációk, 7: a kohó fala, 8: faszén Fig 3. Irshava, view of the iron furnaces 3. kép Ilosva/Irsava, a kohók 28 was 30 cm, its diameter was 45 cm. Secondary product N 29 was 34 cm high, the diameter of its basis was 40 cm. The absence of walls and other features characteristic for furnaces gives us a basis to suggest that features 28 and 29 represented secondary products that were thrown out from their primary place after the smelting. It was iron mass got after the finished cicle of smelting and represented an industrial product. Similar types of iron melting furnaces have been already known from the Transcarpathian region. Some industrial spaces have been researched in the métallurgie centre in Novoklinovo/Ujakli that was dated by V.M. Bidzilia to the late La Tène period (BIDZILIA 1971.128-135). However, recently it was doubted that the Novoklinovo centre can be dated so low (KOBAL' 1996.173). The technology of iron processing has been hardly changed in the Roman time (PLEINER 1958. 127) which is evidenced by the métallurgie centre found in Diakovo/Nevetlenfalu (KOTIGOROSHKO 1991.168). Furnaces of similar type have been recently investigated by E. Mirossajová in East Slovakia (MIROSSAJOVÁ 1995.9-21) and previously dated to the Roman Age. However, the appearance of iron in Europe could be observed already in the 11th—7th cent. B.C and moved in three main directions: a southern one from Asia Minor through the Balkans and further to the north, an eastern one connected with the Cimmerians, and a western one with the Celts (BUKOWSKI 1981.509-512). The question of the dating of the smelting furnaces at Stremtura remains problematic. Written sources mention the iron melting by the population of the Irshava region in the 17th century (LEHOCZKY 1881.459-466) with methods of small industry. However, the stratigraphie observations made in the process of the cleaning the industrial space and that of the whole archaeological material gathered during the excavation at the Upper Settlement, make 143