Bloomery furnace

A bloomery furnace is an ancient device used to extract iron from ore. It operates by storing iron ore, charcoal (as fuel), and sometimes fluxes in a vertical shaft. When heated intensely, the carbon from the charcoal reacts with the ore, reducing the iron oxides into usable iron. The molten iron collects at the bottom, forming a spongy mass called a "bloom," which can be further worked to produce wrought iron. Bloomery furnaces were widely used before modern blast furnaces and played a crucial role in early metallurgy.