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a general survey.
237
3It. Kirunavara
spite of improvements in metallurgical processes and higher standards
of quality.
The metals and alloys — gold, bronze, iron, silver —, which were first
used in Sweden were imported in a metallic state. Processes, however,
such as casting, forging, and so forth, were carried on in Sweden at a
very early date. According to Montelius, the oldest iron object found in
Sweden the date of which could be definitely determined, belonged to the
fifth period of the Bronze Age, that is to the 9th and 8th centuries B. C.
Soon afterwards iron objects in the subterranean finds become as plentiful
as those of bronze, and the beginning of the Iron Age in Scandinavia is
assigned by Montelius to about 700 B. C. How long a period elapsed
before the ancient Swedes learnt to reduce iron out of ore is not known.
The frequently occurring heaps of slag and other remains of primitive
smelting have in fact been very little investigated. Montelius, however, is
inclined to the belief that this knowledge was acquired soon after iron
had come into general use. The date must accordingly be assigned to
about the commencement of the Iron Age, or, approximately, 2 500 years
ago. It seems certain that ancient metallurgy in Sweden was first directed
to the production of iron, and made use of lake and bog ore as a
raw product. The method of smelting was extremely rude: it was carried
out in little pits in the ground, often formed into a kind of furnace by
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