Hi all,
Here is a article taken from The Darlington and Stockton Post on Friday 21st June 02.
Rievaulx brothers were close to breakthrough.
Why clever medieval monks were way ahead of their time.
Medieval monks working on the edge of the North York Moors came close to making a massive technological break through in iron production, it was revealed this week. Archaeologists believe Cistercian brothers working at Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley, were developing a type of blast furnace capable of smelting iron ore in much greater quantities and at higher temperatures than any of their counterparts.
Their experiments were cut short when King Henry VIII closed down the monastery in 1538, destroying what could have been the cradle for a mini-industrial revolution. In its monastic heyday, Rievaulx was a major centre of industrial activity. Monks pioneered smelting techniques and numerous Cistercian iron working sites have been unearthed at nearby Bilsdale and Laskill on the North York Moors. These furnaces used locally mined ore, charcoal and hand powered bellows to supply metal for fabrication into tools, which in turn were used to quarry stone to build the abbey.
Iron ore is to be smelted on the site for the first time in 450 years tomorrow. English Heritage and a team of experts from Bradford University have reconstructed a shaft furnace, based on evidence unearthed at the site.
Ian Panter of English Heritage said: "We hope to gain an insight into the efficiency and capabilities of the technology, using specially placed heat sensors to monitor each burn. "Visitors will also be invited to help out by pumping the bellows, to speed combustion." Standing at about 2m tall, the clay structure burns at 1,100 degrees centigrade, producing iron in a malleable pancake called a bloom. This is then removed with tongs and worked on an anvil.
Experts will also provide guided tours of the monastic earthworks, demonstrating techniques such as geophysics and surveying devices that use data from US spy satellites. Relics linked to the monks' iron industry will also be on display. The furnace will be fired up again on July 20 an 21 and then left to decay naturally.
The archaeology open day runs at Rievaulx tomorrow 11am-4pm. Admission is for £4.50 adults, £3.50 concessions and £2 for children. Further information on 01439 798228.
Regards
Barry
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