Session: #428

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
1. Networks, networking, communication: archaeology of interactions
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
Medieval Mining District. A European Landscape Perspective
Content:
The industrial and mining districts of Europe have contributed since prehistoric times to the exchange of mining and metallurgical ideas as well as trade to change and develop different societies. Societies were connected in networks of humans and their ideas. Systematic investigations and surveys increase our knowledge of the extent of medieval iron, copper and silver production significantly. Together with an interdisciplinary approach, this provides a great opportunity to get a deeper understanding of historical mining landscapes and the dynamic role of iron, copper and silver in medieval urbanization and the moder¬nization process.
In this session we will discuss the importance of the distribution of mining and metal production in the landscape in relation to medieval economy and the development of society. We also explore how the industrial development in mines and smelting sites influenced legal organization of the mining area, the coordination of activities in the landscape, such as transports, the relation between agriculture and mining and the network that gave the mining economy such a dynamic power.
Ore, wood and charcoal were moved in local networks to the smelting sites, from which metal was transported on land, water and ice in large scale operations to fortified towns. The long heavy transportations required various special constructions in the landscape and a combination of transfer systems on land and water. Towns were founded where the traders were forced to transship metals from small boats to bigger ships. Protoindustrial establishment required network and complex logistics.
Based on the archaeological material our paper discusses the tacit knowledge and technology involved to manage the logistic systems and transports in different parts of the landscape. We welcome contributions concerning these aspects of networks.
Keywords:
Metal production, Mining, Middle Ages, Iron, Copper, Silver
Session associated with MERC:
yes
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:

Organisers

Main organiser:
Georg Haggren (Finland) 1
Co-organisers:
Gert Magnusson (Sweden) 2
Catarina Karlsson (Sweden) 2
Affiliations:
1. Archaeology, Department of Cultures, University of Helsinki
2. Jernkontoret