Short Description:
Central bulk of in-situ metalworking hearth/pit fill, truncated by graves F734 and F737
Issued to
Ben Swain | 30/09/2023
Interpretation
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- This material represents in-situ metalworking pit/hearth fill in the centre of pit F206. It has been heavily truncated to the north and the south by graves F734 and F737, leaving only a small central bulk of in-situ pit fill. This has been left intact as of the end of the 2023 season to allow for an appropriate sampling strategy to be developed in advance of the 2024 season. Lenses of charcoal and burnt wood are visible throughout the survivng section through this fill. These will likely be given separate context numbers upon the full excavation of this material in the 2024 season. They could represent individual firing events as and when the metalworking hearth was used. The presence of such lenses of charcoal/burnt wood and copper droplets visible protruding from this section, alongside a clearly burnt black and reddened edge to the pit cut, strongly suggests an intact section of a metalworking pit/hearth exists at this location. This could be highly significant given the context of the location and association with early medieval monastic Lindisfarne.
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- Ben Swain
- 30-9-2023
Sketch Photo
- No Files Attached
Description
- Moderately compact
- Light greyish yellow
- Silty clay
- Very frequent lenses or seams of charcoal and burnt wood, copper slag and droplets, metalworking debris including possible hearth lining and burnt clay.
- L - W - T -
- Possibly the same as 2580, this was kept separate due to the truncation through the pit by grave F734 and to allow better tracking of important sampling.
- exposed with hand tools/damp