>Please can anyone tell me of known locations in the UK where evidence for
copper smelting during the medieval period has been found, preferably with
archaeological study, and any published references?
Robert,
Although there were a few small copper mines / trials in the late medieval
period, there are very few known smelting sites and little or no archaeology
study. There is what Ponting, in his historical metallurgy assessment for
English Heritage, refers to as a 'Medieval copper gap'.
The copper smelting activity I'm most familiar with, although I cannot
identify the source of the ores, was on the Tamar in south Devon in the
early part of the 14th century. Copper was smelted at Calstock and in the
Bere Ferrers area, probably at Maristow on the opposite bank of the Tavy,
for its silver content. There is good documentary evidence for the reworking
of the residues from smelting, on one occasion using central European expertise.
There is now some archaeological evidence for copper working / smelting in
the early medieval period at Kilmacthomas, in southern County Waterford not
far from the modern mines at Bunmahon / Knockmahon, (references when I have
them) but nothing comparable in the UK.
Peter
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Dr Peter Claughton,
Blaenpant Morfil, nr. Rosebush, Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE.
Tel. 01437 532578; Fax. 01437 532921; Mobile 07831 427599
University of Exeter - School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies
(Centre for South Western Historical Studies)
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Co-owner - mining-history e-mail discussion list.
See http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/mining-history/ for details.
Mining History Pages - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/~pfclaugh/mhinf/
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