> [!quote] [How did barbarian tribes get iron for their swords and arrowheads? Was mining a widespread technology even outside settled societies?](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/uzottf/how_did_barbarian_tribes_get_iron_for_their/) by [[von_Tohaga]] via [[rAskHistorians]] on 2022-05-28 > Bog Iron consists of rusty lumps found on the bottom of lakes, swamps and bogs. You could "fish" for this using some sort of long hafted scooping devices, or depending on depth, pick it up with your hands. I know this is/was quite common in Sweden but I do not know the geological process behind the Bog Iron ending up in the lakes and bogs. But in this case you actually don't necessarily need a mine to get access to iron. > > Regarding mines: mining in Scandinavia, south scandinavia to be precise, dates back to the Neolithic (4000-1700 BC). These early mines were for the minig of flint stone. Some of them were simply large pits, and others actual small shafts through the bedrock, reaching a depth of about 5-6 meters. In Scania, southernmost Sweden, large areas of these kinds of flint mines have been found, at Södra Sallerup for example.