bloomery
Primitive iron furnace
A bloomery is a type of furnace used in early ironmaking, where iron ore is reduced to a spongy mass called a bloom.
Unlike later blast furnaces, bloomeries don't fully melt the iron—they produce wrought iron directly.
The term also refers to the building or workshop housing such a furnace: Medieval bloomeries dotted the forested hillsides where ore and charcoal were plentiful.
Metal-bearing rock
- charcoalBurned wood residue
- fluxContinuous change or flow
- slagIndustrial metalworking byproduct
- bellowsHandheld device forcing air
iron · smelt · reduction · wrought · hearth · furnace · crucible · ingot
Metal-shaping block
- hammerTool for striking nails
- tongsHinged grasping utensil
- forgeFurnace for shaping metal
- quenchingRapid cooling process
tempering · wrought iron · shaping · beating · bending · bladesmith · metalwork · farrier
Iron oxide ore
- magnetiteMagnetic iron ore
- limoniteHydrated iron oxide ore
- sideriteIron carbonate mineral
- ironstoneOre-laden rock or stoneware
ore deposit · ferrous · mineralogy · laterite · outcrop · prospecting · raw material
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- Anglo-SaxonPre-Conquest British Germanic peoples
- VikingMedieval Nordic raider
Roman · slag heap · reconstruction · experimental · site · ancient · heritage · conservation
ore
Metal-bearing rock
bellows · iron · smelt · reduction · wrought · hearth · furnace · crucible · ingot · tapping
anvil
Metal-shaping block
quenching · tempering · wrought iron · shaping · beating · bending · bladesmith · metalwork · farrier · grinding
hematite
Iron oxide ore
ironstone · ore deposit · ferrous · mineralogy · laterite · outcrop · prospecting · raw material
excavation
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- Anglo-SaxonPre-Conquest British Germanic peoples
Viking · Roman · slag heap · reconstruction · experimental · site · ancient · heritage · conservation · relics
bloomeryblast furnace
Ore-to-metal converter
basic oxygen furnace · electric arc furnace · continuous casting · mass production