Technological innovations in blacksmith's craft of the Beloozero region

The results of archaeometallographic investigations give grounds to suppose that blacksmith's craft in the Beloozero region underwent strong innovation impetuses in two different periods. The first impetus of clearly divergent character was caused by Scandinavian influence, but had no prolonged effect on development of local ironworking. Another technological innovation was of Slavic-Russian origin; it spread gradually, but in effect turned to be more stable. Analytical investigations of material from Medieval Russian sites of other regions have shown that for a long period welding-on technological scheme remained basic one in blacksmith's craft, an was practiced until the beginning of industrial production of iron goods.