SHARE:
THORNTON, ENGLAND—Iron was smelted in northern England some 2,400 years ago, The Yorkshire Post reports. An investigation conducted ahead of a construction project unearthed the bottom of a large furnace consisting of a pit that would have been packed with green wood. In this system, molten waste slag dripped down into the pit, slowly burned away the green wood, and collected as it cooled. The iron ore that was smelted at the site was likely collected from the surrounding wetland environment. The resulting metal is thought to have been used to construct the chariots and other grave goods discovered in burials in the region. To read about a hoard of Late Iron Age torcs unearthed on England's east coast, go to "A Change in Fashion."
