How to find iron without mining [Medieval Professions: Bog Iron Hunter]

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This video takes a look at the unusual profession of the bog iron hunter. As well as how iron ore forms in a bog and how to find it.
Music by Vindsvept (Lake of Light)
/ vindsvept
CC BY 4.0 License: creativecommon...
Links to pictures and credits (in order of appearance):
Hands-on-bog-iron
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List of proffessions:
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Blanket peat bog, Feadan Leitir
www.geograph.o...
Iron bearing water in a spring
en.wikipedia.o...
Limonite nodules found at Beeston Heath
www.northfolk.o...
Excavation of bog iron in Wierzchy
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commons.wikime...
Bog below Cnocan Conachreag, Caithness
www.geograph.o...
Bog oil
www.geograph.or...
commons.wikime...
Smelting Iron
pxhere.com/en/...
Pickaxe
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ARG-2016-Aerial-Tierra del Fuego (Ushuaia)-Valle Carbajal
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Orthosilicate-2D-dimensions
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Sword
pxhere.com/en/...
Bog grass and water: Whixall Moss
www.geograph.or...
Goethite
commons.wikime...
Magnetite
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Vugs
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Quartz
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Water Spring
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Nature Travel River Creek Forest Water Spring
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Creek flowing through the bog landscape
www.goodfreeph...
Iron bacteria in runoff
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Limonite bog iron cm02
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Leptothrix discophora oil film
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[@Ironpine27]

2:19 Iron can actually form in lakes too. Ancient finns carved holes in frozen lakes and used long sticks with nets attached to scoop the iron ore from the bottom of lakes. It also is a renewable source of iron as it only takes roughly 30-40 years for iron to be collectable from the same lake again.

[@norik434]

I found this video searching for details on the chemistry of bog iron (for which there's surprisingly little content online), and while it's not what I was looking for I'm really glad I found your channel! Very interesting content, a cool look at history without focusing on states or big military conflicts. Subscribed!

[@ZS-wb2rs]

Want a sample?

[@Felahliir]

Kinda late, but bog iron are mainly iron hydroxides.

[@johnshannon8266]

Yes please!

[@jonajo9757]

@@Felahliir Don't forget the high phosphorus content. Something like 2.1-3.5%

[@woody7133]

I'm here because I want to make a long sword

[@grenshaw6836]

im here because finding iron is easier than buying Iron things to smelt down. im working on homemade arrows because hunting season is opening

[@Youzack1]

Good luck with the charcoal lol

[@brandonboyd5348]

Then you're going to have to find a whole lot of "eye-run"

[@thecommunistowl811]

Same

[@TheReedsofEnki]

@@grenshaw6836 If you're looking for steel for arrowheads I would probably look at garage sales, craigslist, or 2nd hand stores for cheap knives. Getting to know the people at your local scrapyard could help too. It would be a lot easier to get than being gifted iron by the "lady of the lake"

[@GallowglassAxe]

Hey I just found your videos today and I'm really liking the series on Medieval Professions. I'm now a subscriber! I've been looking at this on how to implement this in a fantasy setting (namely DnD 5e). I could see many swamp dwelling creatures like lizardfolk who could harvest this for crafting or trade. Maybe its a special type of metal that is highly sought after and neighboring countries are trying to conquer it to gain a monopoly on its production.

[@KobeanHistory]

Thanks for subscribing! It would have definitely been a valuable resource especially in places without any iron mines. Going further on the fantasy aspect the lizardfolk could have a secret technique like adding certain things to the pools to give the iron special properties or speed up the process of the iron forming.

[@GallowglassAxe]

@@KobeanHistory That works perfectly in DnD Forgotten Realms Lore. Lizardfolk eggs will absorb pigments of what they are nested in and will give them their coloration. So they often carefully choose what nesting materials to use to make sure the babies come out the right color. I could see them adapting that concept to iron rich bogs for the special properties or to speed up the process like you said. Thank you!

[@JustinTopp]

I was just given 18lbs of bog iron! To smelt. They are a few inches in diameter

[@lancepugh4138]

Great job on your videos. They are very well done. Thanks.

[@raygodwin3496]

This is good to know. I love learning about cool stuff like this. Made a subscriber out of me. Thanks for the good content.

[@Irades]

Thank you❤

[@chekhososlanian1942]

Imagine how much iron was produced in swamps since middle ages

[@MrArthoz]

I see...so that why there's oily layer in swamps. I thought people threw away pollutants there. But it was in location far away from homes so it was illogical to find oily layer...I saw it once in my childhood decades ago...now pollution is everywhere...

[@hyperion3145]

You'd be surprised how far pollution could go, even back then. Many isolated islands in the Pacific have trash because the current carries it for miles.

[@Kurokubi]

Well, oily layers aren't caused JUST by bog iron. It's caused by a mixture of bacteria and oxidized iron or manganese. That doesn't necessarily mean there's bog iron there, just that there's oxidized iron/manganese and bacteria on the surface of whatever stagnant body of water it is that you're looking at. It could also be gas/diesel/petroleum. It would be obvious though because gas/diesel/petroleum smells like... well... I'm not typing the names again, but you get it. If you're still not sure (in the future) if it's a natural film or not, you can just poke it with your finger/a stick. If it's bacteria+oxides, the film will just break apart and separate/float away from the stick; if it's a fuel spill, it will just form back together after you remove your finger/stick.

[@focusflowentertainmentteac5124]

Fun but random information, stunned to know that iron actually is to be found in clumps in small lakes.

[@InvadersDie]

Actually one of the points made is that it doesn't form in lakes, it does in bogs.

[@sarahharram3518]

Kobe- the bog iron hunter

[@geoffreygualtieri378]

Well now I know what all that brownish-red stuff was on top of a pond in a nearby park. Might have to go bog iron hunting now

[@NeAndresthal]

Really interesting!

[@eqlzr2]

Ha. Why am I a little surprised this was a very interesting, informative video? ;-)

[@flashthompson7]

Thanks! Give thanks!

[@alldog222]

ty

[@EKonMaster]

Thank you for the information

[@YouTubeAreCommunistScum]

That Bogled my mind

[@robertwhitfield5740]

Awesome

[@dreamingacacia]

I'm trying to find a way to make iron ore within a year or so. The initiation could be a few years but can collect every year after that like planting some trees would be great.

[@Enigmaking]

Have you found how?

[@gyozanomics]

there are only a few bogs where I live I wonder if any of them have iron?

[@pedrosugliano9762]

cool

[@baddonkey6876]

Man, bog i-run hunting sounds like a rough job

[@rowanbcapr]

Primitive technology uploaded a video of smelting iron from iron oxide found in a creek

[@miaouew]

eyerun

[@GALA89]

for every answer you have, there's a indian explaining it to you, common mortal.

[@harjasudaysingh1339]

Yaa, sadly I'm from that country which is filled with desperate youtubers India, if anybody didn't understand

[@memz4523]

How is bog iron renewable? Isn't iron non-renewable

[@HauntingSpectre]

I forget the exact science of it all, but Iron is in everything, even in our blood. Bog iron is formed from Iron collected/created in Moss. As the moss dies/regrows and compacts, it leaves behind deposits of minerals - iron being one of them.

[@emperorpalpatine5559]

No hate but it’s pronounced “i-urn” without the pause of course but you get it.