About project
About project
TITLE:
Iron production along the Drava River in the Roman period and the Middle Ages: Creation and transfer of knowledge, technologies and goods
HEAD RESEARCHER:
INSTITUTION:
DURATION:
48 months
DESCRIPTION:
The aim of the project “Iron production along the Drava River in the Roman period and the Middle Ages: Creation and transfer of knowledge, technologies and goods” is to expand the scientific knowledge about the primary processing and manufacturing of iron in the lowland basin of the Drava River and answer the question in what ways and to what extent this production affected the identity of the community and the formation and dynamics of the various socio-cultural relations in the society. It is through monitoring of the production and distribution of goods (semi-finished and finished products) that an extraordinary possibility of analyzing, not only the economic, but also the social and cultural contacts between various communities and exchange of knowledge, technologies and goods. Fully known scope and intensity of these contacts will give us insight into the needs of contemporary communities and societies. Therefore, the challenge of the project is to explore how technological advances in the primary production of iron (if any) and the number of workshops in the reference area affect the level of trade and the general welfare of the society during ancient and medieval times.
In order to define the meaning of iron production in the context of ancient and medieval societies, the following tasks were set:
1. To specify the source of the iron ore and the other necessary resources (clay, water, wood);
2. To define the technology of processing the iron ore throughout the historical periods and the intensity of production;
3. To define the impact of iron production in the context of socio-cultural relations and interaction of people and goods.
This project is financed by the Croatian Science Foundation (IP-06-2016-5047).
