Blacksmith's craft of the Pomors in the context of Russian ironworking

Long-distance expeditions of the Pomors to hunting areas required various types of gear made from iron and steel. Such implements and weapons are well represented in collections from excavations of Pomor settlements in the Spitsbergen (Svalbard) archipelago. The archaeometallographic study of a series of iron artifacts established that Pomor blacksmith’s craft correlates well with the Russian ironworking trends of the 16th-17th centuries. Specific traits of the Pomor blacksmith’s craft manifest themselves in production of special tools the Pomor needed to hunt animals and catch fish. At the same time correlation is established between the types of forged pieces and the sequence of production operations.