Med åbne sanser og dyb faglighed: forsøg med udvinding og smedning af myremalmsjern

In the years between 1992 and 2010, several experiments were carried out with the extraction and forging of bog iron ore at the Historic-Archaeological Research Centre in Lejre. The experiments differ from most other experiments in the field by being carried out in a close dialogue between archaeologist, metallurgist and blacksmith, and by including the entire process from the bog ore being dug up from the ground until the finished tool was placed on the anvil. In addition, the experiments are well-documented in terms of the selection and use of materials and in terms of the analysis of iron and slag. The experiments are therefore particularly suitable for investigating how an experimental dynamic develops, what methodological limitations and potentials one experiences and, not least, what experiences can be developed in subsequent experiments. Looking back at the experiments, the experiments of the future should be carried out with both open senses and deep professionalism.
It is hoped that future experiments can maintain a deep understanding, whether it is about insight into an academic subject, a craft or something completely different. At the same time, we may be inspired by re-enactment and find a way to register sensory impressions such as light, sound and smell far more scientifically than we do today.
It is important that experimental archaeology creates a space for an open dialogue between different disciplines, documents sensory experiences and, finally, it must make processes and results available in a scientific form.