I am trying to prepare a LHI bid in which we want to look at a couple of
bloomery sites within the Wyre Forest Coalfield. The County
Archaeology service has suggested that we budget for analysis of iron-
working slag. In principle we could not only supply slag samples from
the site but could also compare this with the products from a bloomery
reconstruction, using local ironstone which either exists as nodules in
coal measure clay or impregnated into sandstone.
Has anyone got any idea how much it costs to get a sample of slag
analysed? Ideally we would like to learn about the processes that
produced it and its likely date. (We hope will date the adjacent ironstone
mines, in case anyone is wondering what this has to do with mining
history!)
Thanks
David Poyner
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