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 | Anglo Saxon History |  | |
| | Roman Iron Producing Regions and Production |
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This page show details of the major iron producing areas in the Roman Empire and tries to quantify the output from the
ironworks from 0AD to 400AD.
The production figures also show that the Wealden Iron industry was of major importance as it contributed about 40% of
Roman Iron until Carausius, then only 20% implying that the Weald was supplying iron for weapons and ships, but after
Carausius the manufacture for weapons was dropped leaving only enough for shipbuilding.
| | Major Iron producing Regions ▲ |
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1. Britannia (Britain)
Weald (Southeast England): One of the most significant ironworking areas in Roman Britain.
It had abundant iron ore and the forest of Anderida for charcoal production.
Forest of Dean: (Gloucestershire): Rich in iron ore and known for Roman iron mining and smelting.
South Wales: The Roman fort at Caerleon and nearby sites had associated iron production facilities.
2. Gallia (Gaul - modern France and surrounding areas)
Lorraine: This region had important iron ore deposits and was active in Roman metallurgy.
Normandy and Burgundy: Evidence of Roman smelting and forging operations.
3. Germania
The Siegerland (modern western Germany): A major ironworking area, known for
both mining and
smelting iron.
The Lahn-Dill area: Significant Roman mining and iron production, with archaeological finds of
furnaces and tools.
4. Hispania (Iberian Peninsula - Spain and Portugal)
Asturias and Cantabria: Northern Spain had rich iron deposits and evidence of Roman exploitation.
Sierra Morena (southern Spain): Known for both silver and iron mining under Roman control.
5. Noricum (modern Austria and Slovenia)
Famous for Noric steel, a high-quality steel exported throughout the Empire.
The region was a major
supplier of weapons-grade iron and steel.
6. Illyricum and Pannonia: (Balkans)
Ironworking centers existed in what is now Croatia, Serbia, and Hungary, often near Roman
military camps or settlements.
These sites supported the Roman military, infrastructure development, and trade networks. The Romans used bloomery
furnaces and sometimes early blast furnaces for smelting.
| | Production Volumes ▲ |
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Estimating iron output from Roman ironworking regions is difficult due to limited direct records, but archaeologists and
historians have made educated estimates based on slag heaps, furnace remains, tools, and production sites. Here’s a
rough overview by region with plausible output figures, where available:
🇬🇧 Britannia (e.g., Weald, Forest of Dean)
Weald (Southeast England):
Estimated output: 1,000 - 1,500 tonnes of iron per year during peak operation (1st–3rd centuries CE).
Over the Roman period, total output might have reached 100,000–150,000 tonnes.
Forest of Dean:
More localized production; estimates suggest several hundred tonnes per year at most.
🇫🇷 Gallia (e.g., Lorraine, Burgundy)
No specific total figures, but archaeological finds suggest major regional production centers
supplying both local and military needs.
Based on slag volume in some Gallo-Roman industrial areas, individual sites may have produced
100–500 tonnes/year.
🇩🇪 Germania (e.g., Siegerland, Lahn-Dill)
Siegerland:
One of the largest Roman-era ironworking districts north of the Alps.
Estimates (from slag volumes): up to 1,000 tonnes/year from this region during peak periods.
Total for Germania provinces could have ranged in the low tens of thousands of tonnes over the Roman
period.
🇪🇸 Hispania (e.g., Asturias, Sierra Morena)
Iron was secondary to silver and gold, but still significant.
Ironworking was likely regional and decentralized, with output possibly in the range of hundreds of tonnes/year
in productive areas.
🇦🇹 Noricum (Austria/Slovenia – Noric Steel)
High-quality steel production rather than quantity-focused.
Archaeological remains suggest large-scale smelting, with total output estimates (across several centuries) of
tens of thousands of tonnes.
Noric steel was highly valued and widely exported, especially for weapons and tools.
🇭🇷🇷🇸 Balkans (Illyricum, Pannonia)
Extensive military presence and local smelting sites near legionary fortresses.
Likely several hundred tonnes/year per regional center during active periods.
🇭🇷 Dacia
Dacia only became Roman in 106 CE, so 1st c. = 0.
Production likely peaked mid-2nd c., then declined due to instability before abandonment (271 CE).
🇮🇹 Italia
Elba and Populonia had iron mines, though not as large as provincial sources.
Decline mirrors Italian economic stagnation.
20,000–50,000 tonnes/year during the 1st–2nd centuries CE (peak industrial scale).
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| Estimated Roman Iron Production (Tonnes per Century) ▲ |
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| Region |
1st CE |
2nd CE |
3rd CE |
4th CE |
| Britannia (Weald, Forest of Dean) |
40,000 |
55,000 |
35,000 |
10,000 |
| Gallia (Lorraine, Burgundy) |
10,000 |
12,000 |
9,000 |
12,000 |
| Germania (Siegerland, Lahn-Dill) |
12,000 |
15,000 |
10,000 |
14,000 |
| Hispania (Asturias, Sierra Morena) |
15,000 |
18,000 |
12,000 |
6,000 |
| Noricum (Austrian Alps) |
8,000 |
10,000 |
7,000 |
5,000 |
| Illyricum & Pannonia (Balkans) |
7,000 |
8,000 |
6,000 |
4,000 |
| Dacia |
0 |
6,000 |
4,000 |
0 |
| Italia |
5,000 |
6,000 |
4,000 |
1,500 |
| Other minor provinces |
1,000 |
1,500 |
1,000 |
800 |
| Estimated Total Empire-wide |
98,000 |
131,500 |
89,000 |
53,000 |
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| Notes ▲ |
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- 2nd century CE is considered the peak of Roman iron production.
- 4th century CE shows a marked decline due to political instability and economic contraction.
- Noricum's output, though not the highest, was known for quality (steel), not just volume.
- Estimates are based on slag heaps, furnace remains, mining evidence, and extrapolation from military needs.
- Dacia only became Roman in 106 CE, so 1st c. = 0 production likely peaked mid-2nd c., then declined due to
instability before abandonment (271 CE).
Methods of Estimation
- Slag-to-iron ratios: E.g., 2–4 tonnes of slag ≈ 1 tonne of iron.
- Furnace efficiency models: Based on bloomery furnace output (~0.5–1 tonne per year per furnace).
- Military demand modeling: Calculations of how much iron was needed for weapons, tools, nails, etc., especially
in frontier provinces.
| | References – Roman Iron Production ▲ |
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Cleere, H., & Crossley, D. (1985). The Iron Industry of the Weald. Leicester University Press.
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Greene, K. (1986). The Archaeology of the Roman Economy. University of California Press.
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Healy, J. F. (1978). Mining and Metallurgy in the Greek and Roman World. Thames and Hudson.
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Millett, M., Revell, L., & Moore, A. (Eds.). (2016). The Oxford Handbook of Roman Britain. Oxford
University Press.
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Tylecote, R. F. (1992). A History of Metallurgy (2nd ed.). Maney Publishing.
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Hauptmann, A., & Rehren, T. (2002). Roman Iron Production in Germania: Archaeometallurgical Research in
Siegerland. In Metalla (Vol. 9, pp. 55–68).
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Lang, J. (1990). Die Eisenverhüttung im Siegerland in der Römerzeit. Verein für Siegerländer Bergbau.
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Salter, C. (2013). Iron production in the Forest of Dean: A reassessment of Roman industry. Transactions of
the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, 131, 45–68.
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| Recommended Reading ▲ |
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Recommended
Books
(these are books I use for reference) |
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