ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS OF IRON SMELTING AT SUNGAI BATU ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEXES, BUJANG VALLEY, KEDAH, MALAYSIA

Abstract

This archaeological experiment study of furnace, tuyere and bellow making to conduct iron smelting experiments is aimed at obtaining information related to the iron smelting process that is likely to have been carried out in Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex. This archaeological experiment study was conducted through a knowledge transfer program (KTP) at the Sungai Batu Complex conducted in 2013 involving 18 participants and two instructors. This experiment involves the use of soil taken in the Sungai Batu river to produce furnaces and tuyere while bellow are made from wood, plywood and cloth. The raw material of iron smelting, namely iron ore, was taken after the survey activities were carried out near Kampung Batu 5, UiTM Merbok and Tupah Hill areas while the charcoal for iron smelting was used by rubber wood in the rubber plantation near the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complexs. The iron smelting experiments conducted have shown the difference in smelting results with the discovery of iron bloom which explains the possible differences in smelting techniques and technology to produce the iron ingots. Although the results of the experiments show differences with the actual results at the iron smelting site but the data can be used in the development of archeotourism at the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex to provide a overview of iron smelting techniques that may be used in this area in the past.