Similar processes are going on even now. &quot;Bog iron&quot; was very widely used in the days before long-range transportation.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Bog_iron" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Bog_iron</a>