Reconstructing the iron production technologies of Western Uganda : reconciling archaeometallurgical and ethnoarchaeological approaches
The local production of iron was an important technology in eastern Africa up until the later twentieth century, when the use and reuse of imported iron overtook vernacular smelting industries and cemented their decline. Prior to this, the utilisation of local ores had produced iron for agricultural implements, household tools and weapons, serving the needs of many generations of farmers and herders across the region. The smelters of western Uganda enjoyed a particularly esteemed reputation in recent history, especially among their neighbours in Buganda, yet prior to this research little was known about the technologies upon which this reputation was fostered. This thesis presents the results of six months of fieldwork in Uganda and subsequent archaeometallurgical analysis, which together revealed the complexities of smelting in western Uganda between the fourteenth and twentieth centuries. Exploring this new archaeometallurgical dataset has indicated that some iron producers in Mwenge (a particularly iron-rich region of western Uganda) were selecting manganese-rich ores with which to supplement the iron ores in the smelt, imparting a tangible effect on the process and outcomes of these smelting episodes,
Iles, L. E.
Reconstructing the iron production technologies of Western Uganda : reconciling archaeometallurgical and ethnoarchaeological approaches. The local production of iron was an important technology in eastern Africa up until the later twentieth century, when the use and reuse of imported iron overtook vernacular smelting industries and cemented their decline. Prior to this, the utilisation of local ores had produced iron for agricultural implements, household tools and weapons, serving the needs of many generations of farmers and herders across the region. The smelters of western Uganda enjoyed a particularly esteemed reputation in recent history, especially among their neighbours in Buganda, yet prior to this research little was known about the technologies upon which this reputation was fostered. This thesis presents the results of six months of fieldwork in Uganda and subsequent archaeometallurgical analysis, which together revealed the complexities of smelting in western Uganda between the fourteenth and twentieth centuries. Exploring this new archaeometallurgical dataset has indicated that some iron producers in Mwenge (a particularly iron-rich region of western Uganda) were selecting manganese-rich ores with which to supplement the iron ores in the smelt, imparting a tangible effect on the process and outcomes of these smelting episodes,
reconstructing iron_production technology western uganda reconcile archaeometallurgical ethnoarchaeological approach local production iron important technology eastern_africa use reuse import iron vernacular smelt industry decline prior utilisation local ore produce iron agricultural implement household tool weapon serve need many generation farmer herder across_region smelter western uganda enjoy particularly reputation recent history especially among neighbours buganda yet prior little_known technology upon reputation foster present fieldwork uganda subsequent archaeometallurgical analysis together reveal complexity smelt western uganda fourteenth exploring new archaeometallurgical dataset indicate iron producer particularly iron rich region western uganda select rich ore supplement iron_ore smelt impart tangible effect process outcomes smelt episode