Caractéristiques et propriétés de la terre et de son fibrage dans la technologie tatara.

Abstract

This article presents the author's latest research on the significance of wall fibres in Japanese iron smelting
furnaces in the ancient and medieval periods, and examines the reasons for their disappearance in tatara
furnaces in modern times. The author combines an archaeological approach with a physico-chemical one,
bringing to light a certain complexity that probably results from a strong awareness of the importance of the
earth within the technical system, an awareness that we still find anchored in the knowhow of the master of
tatara Nittōho.