An Iron Age workshop, where blacksmiths forged metal some 2,700 years ago, has been discovered in Oxfordshirecomplete with everything from bellows guards to the little bits of metal that flew off when the red-hot iron was hammered into shape.
Radiocarbon tests date it to between 770 BC and 515 BC, during the earliest days of ironworking in Britain. From about 800 BC the art of forging iron became widespread in the British Isles for tools and weapons and the Iron Age takes its name from the mastery of this metal.
Archaeologists told the Guardian they were “completely blown away” by the early dates and the evidence.
This was no ordinary forge, but a highly skilled manufacturer of large and high-end iron artifacts, including everything from swords to chariot wheels.
The discoveries include the footprint of the blacksmith’s building and internal structures, with evidence of a specialized hearth and iron bar, from which artefacts were made. There is also an intact tuyere that would have channeled air into the hearth, while also acting as a buffer to protect the bellows from the extreme heat of the flames.
The excavation was carried out by DigVentures, an archeology social enterprise, while investigating the area downslope from the Iron Age hill fort at Wittenham Clumps, a South Oxfordshire landmark. In 2021, the team found an extensive Iron Age settlement, with the remains of roundhouses dating from 400-100 BC.
Everything would have remained buried under the vast green landscape if not for a decision by Earth Trust, the environmental charity that looks after the site, to redevelop its visitor centre. An archaeological dig was part of the planning application.
Nat Jackson, the site director of DigVentures, said of the latest findings: “The range of evidence is remarkable. We have almost every component of the blacksmith’s workshop… The only thing we haven’t got are the tools. It is an incredible thrill to discover something like this. It basically allows us to look back in time and see what could have been one of Britain’s earliest master smiths at work.”
Maiya Pina-Dacier, an archaeologist at DigVentures, said: “This is a rare glimpse of a master craftsman at work from such a pivotal time – the arrival of ironwork in Britain.”
She added that the discovery of a tuyere was among exciting remains: “We get examples from later periods, including the Saxon, Viking and medieval periods – and everyone gets excited when they find them. But to find one that dating back to the first few centuries of the Iron Age – and it’s complete – that’s what’s extremely rare, not just in Britain but in Europe.”
She added: “The size of the tuyere tells you about the size of the hearth. In the Iron Age, most artifacts such as everyday tools were actually quite small. To produce small items, you only need a small hearth because it consumes a lot of energy and is difficult to control. You’ll need a big hearth if you’re producing something big or long, and those things in the Iron Age are swords and wagon wheels. Those kinds of artifacts could only be produced by the crème de la crème of forges. This workshop was a very serious forge, something quite extraordinary and special.”
The finds were examined by Gerry McDonnell, an archaeometallurgical specialist, who described them as “remarkable”.
Founded in 2012, DigVentures is a team of archaeologists dedicated to increasing public participation in archaeology.
Some of the artefacts will be on public display in February in a free pop-up exhibition, with talks and workshops, at the Earth Trust Visitor Center in Abingdon.
Anna Wilson of the Earth Trust said that such discoveries were “literally forging new history before our eyes and revealing more of the ancient mysteries behind this very special place”.
