Short Description:
Burnt sandy fill of flue/Stoke hole related to possible metalworking hearth
Issued to
Chris Swindells | 13/09/2023
Interpretation
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- Sandy fill of possible metalworking hearth flue containing regular pieces of charcoal and burnt wood near the base and copper droplets. This burnt wood possibly represents the final firing of the hearth. The shaft 2582 which is filled by this material could be a flue or bellows chamber into the base of the hearth itself. The fill consists of a yellowish grey sand, some of which had almost vitrified near the base and the edges due to the extremely high temperatures. This strongly suggests that this sand was present within the metalworking pit/hearth when it was in use and is likely contemporary with it, forming some sort of functional structural element of the metalworking process. This material was 100% sampled (samples 291, 293, 315) as of the end of the 2023 season due to its fragility and likelihood of being destroyed as part of the backfill/re-excavation process in 2024. A C14 date for the burnt wood at the base of this fill could be a prime candidate for determining the date of the final firing of the hearth.
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- Ben Swain
- 15-9-2023
Sketch Photo
- No Files Attached
Description
- loose
- light yellowish grey
- sand
- very regular charcoal/burnt wood pieces/flecks
- L - 0.22 W - 0.16 T - 0.15
- possible flue fill. 100% sampled with samples 291, 293 and 315
- Hand ex/dry
Finds
Feature
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Feature: LDF_206
- Partial in-situ remains of a heavily truncated metalworking pit
Samples
Record Details
- Not set
- Chris Swindells 13-9-2023
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