Pre-industrial iron production in Mbala district of northern province, Zambia

This study investigated the technology of pre-industrial iron production in Mbala district of northern Zambia. The focus of this work was on the technological aspects of pre-industrial iron production in terms of ore smelting and iron reefing processes. To this end, an exploratory research design was employed to carry out an in-depth study in an area where little archaeological work had been undertaken. The study employed a qualitative research approach to investigate iron production sites. Data collection methods included ethno-archaeological interviewers, surface-walk over, survey, excavation, observation, observation and physical attribute analysis. The findings from the study indicate that there is a clear-cut distinction between smelting and refining processes. The study revealed that Mbala pre-industrial iron technology was a three stage process, encompassing smelting, reefing and smiting. It has been identified that slag tapping from the smelting furnaces was done through tuyѐres, while refining furnances employed a hole dug down slope. In addition, the study revealed that ore smelting technology in Mbala involved large furnaces (malungu) that relied on natural draught mechanism, while reefing technology used short small furnaces (futengwe) that were operated by a forced draught mechanism. The technology of pre-industrial iron production in Mbala is similar to the three-stage technology of Ufipa, South-western Tanzania.