Technological Traditions of Blacksmithing in Ancient Rus’

Abstract

An archaeometallographic analysis of the iron tools from Ancient Russian sites enabled the authors to conclude that the manufacturing of high-quality items from black metal in Ancient Rus’ was based on the technological welding of the iron base and steel blade. The analysis allowed for changes in the production technology to be traced over time. Thus, it was typical for 10th–11th-century blacksmiths primarily to use three-fold technology, while welding-on was more typical during the 12th–15th centuries. Such technologies reflect different production traditions. One of these technologies, the Scandinavian (three-fold welding technology), brought the most remarkable results in the evolving urban craft. Its implementation was explosive, indeed, but had no essential impact on the further development of Russian iron processing. The other technology – the Slavic – was distinguished by the application of welding-on technology and spread gradually, but turned out to be more sustainable and kept its importance until the beginning of the industrial production of ironware. The interaction of these two traditions determined the character of the Ancient Russian model of blacksmithing.