# Iron smelting centre in the Holy Cross Mountains (200)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/200-iron-smelting-centre-in-the-holy-cross-mountains
Location: Świętokrzyskie Mountains

Thousands of bloomery furnaces in the Świętokrzyskie region made it one of the largest iron-producing centres of barbarian Europe in the Roman period. Within the broader Roman & Migration Period period: Beyond the Roman frontier, the Przeworsk and Wielbark cultures traded amber and iron with the Empire before the great migrations of the fourth and fifth centuries emptied much of the land. At this point in the timeline (200), the governing authority was Peoples of the Roman and Migration periods (No single ruler). Groups associated with the Przeworsk and Wielbark cultures, including peoples identified with the Vandals, Lugii and Goths, traded with the Roman Empire before much of the region was depopulated during the Migration Period. Iron smelting centre in the Holy Cross Mountains mattered because economic change affected the wealth, society and power of the Polish lands. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Iron smelting centre in the Holy Cross Mountains mattered because economic change affected the wealth, society and power of the Polish lands.

Ruler at the time: [Peoples of the Roman and Migration periods](https://poland-history.com/rulers/peoples-of-the-roman-and-migration-periods)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Przeworsk culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Przeworsk_culture)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Iron smelting centre in the Holy Cross Mountains](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Iron+smelting+centre+in+the+Holy+Cross+Mountains)