RAUR project - Chemical data on slag samples related to ancient ironmaking activities in Estonia

The aim of the fundamental research project (RAUR) is to establish the conditions for the provenance analysis of iron. This is a highly significant question, as iron was the only metal produced locally in Estonia from prehistoric to medieval times.In 2023, it was demonstrated that it is possible to investigate the origin of iron in Estonia using slag analysis, but this study only covered some of the iron smelting sites in Estonia. To enable comprehensive research across the entire country, it is necessary to sample and analyze the remaining unexplored iron-smelting locations.Provenance analysis through chemical composition will allow us to associate finished objects with known iron-smelting sites throughout Estonia, providing answers to whether the iron used was local or imported. More broadly, scientists will have the opportunity to address entirely new research questions that significantly enhance our understanding of past craftsmanship, trade, and culture. This dataset has been umploaded to the CHIPS database to grant easy access to the data and allow convenient comparison with data regarding other areas of interest. More informations on the project can be found here: https://www.etis.ee/Portal/Projects/Display/1d12b003-ed46-469d-8e5c-289412be3f50本基础研究项目（RAUR）旨在建立铁器溯源分析的相关条件。这一研究议题极具重要性，因为从史前到中世纪时期，铁器是爱沙尼亚境内唯一本土生产的金属。2023年已有研究证实，可通过炉渣分析探究爱沙尼亚境内铁器的来源，但该研究仅覆盖了爱沙尼亚部分炼铁遗址。为实现全国范围内的系统性研究，需对尚未开展勘探的剩余炼铁遗址进行采样与分析。通过化学成分开展的溯源分析，可将出土成品与爱沙尼亚境内已知的炼铁遗址进行关联，从而解答所用铁器究竟为本土出产还是外来进口这一问题。从更宏观的视角来看，科学家将有机会探讨全新的研究议题，这将极大深化我们对古代工艺、贸易与文化的认知。 本数据集已上传至CHIPS数据库，以便用户便捷获取数据，并可与其他相关研究领域的数据集进行比对分析。 有关本项目的更多详情，可访问以下链接：https://www.etis.ee/Portal/Projects/Display/1d12b003-ed46-469d-8e5c-289412be3f50