I wouldn't suggest this if something with similar characteristics hadn't
turned up in an Illinois archaeological survey collection yesterday,
but-- is it possibly a clay skeet (pigeon)?
Daniel R. Pratt
Architectural Historian/Archaeologist
HDR ONE COMPANY | Many Solutions
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-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Linton [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 1:52 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Graphite bowls
Dear List
At Union (a.k.a. Tynllan, Tynllwyn or Wnion) gold/manganese mine
(SH712216 near Llanelltyd, Dolgellau) I found a quantity of fragments
of what appear to be graphite bowls.
Their external dimensions are 110mm diameter across the rim, 60mm
diameter across the base and depth 20mm. Thickness of material is
about 3mm. They have a spiral ribbed pattern on the outside of the
curved sides. As far as I can tell they are pressed from graphite.
The material can be scraped with a knife blade to yield a black
powder and a broken corner will mark paper.
There's quite a quantity of these fragments there, spread over an
area by the river where I suspect some processing took place.
My question is - do these have anything to do with the mine site?
Perhaps for assay work or something similar? I think it unlikely that
they've been dumped as there's no other sign of general rubbish
dumping on the site.
Dave
--
Dave Linton
Tel: (01341) 280901 (UK) +44 1341 280901 (international)
Fax: 0870 124 9761 (UK)
http://www.btinternet.com/~birchlands/dlinton/
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