Dear bob,
This is what Ive been hoping for for years. As far as I know this is
unique. Can I come to see it? I would like to talk to you about this, can
you send me a phone number where i can ring you.
David Sim
On Wed, 20 Jan 1999 [log in to unmask] wrote:
> --- Begin Included Message ---
>
> From: [log in to unmask] (Bob Sydes)
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> Dear all
>
> For information and feedback.
>
> For Romanists and Metallurgists
>
> A 'rescue investigation' in the vaults of Bellots Hospital, Bath
> Central has revealed a substantial Roman road and frontage buildings,
> one of which comprised part of a blacksmiths shop together with an in
> situ anvil stone and spoil heap - all preserved beneath 'demolition'
> deposits - date? not sure yet. The anvil stone is complete with worn
> area, presumably where the smith placed his foot. Detritus from the
> working is present on the stone as are globules of material on the
> side of the stone. large samples have been taken from the spoil heap
> and the stone is to be stored in the Roman Baths Museum.
>
> Sadly, the site also retained an increasingly rare survival of sub -
> Roman and 'Saxon' 'black earth' deposits which were machined away.
>
> For Planning Archaeologists
>
> A difficult situation involving an archaeological 'access' condition
> on a recent (1996) planning consent and the lack of appreciation (by
> planners and conservation officers) of the real scope of works to the
> vaults of a listed building - these works involved dropping basement
> floors 0.30M and inserting drain runs and Radon sumps -all of which
> have had a profound impact on well preserved archaeological deposits.
>
> For anyone
>
> Despite the lack of financial resources, the Bath Archaeological Trust
> have risen to a challenge that many of us would probably have run away
> from and continue to record archaeological deposits under extreme
> working conditions. I am sure that they will not mind my mentioning
> this.
>
> One question is uppermost - how unique is the survival of this
> blacksmith's shop and in particular how unique is the survival of the
> anvil stone. Anyone interested in the results please contact me of
> list. A discussion 'on-list' may prove interesting - who knows.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Bob Sydes
>
>
>
> --- End Included Message ---
>
> Bob
>
> Evidence of blacksmithing - in the form of slag and other debris
> is of course relatively common. Smithing sites with the level of
> preservation that you describe are surprisingly rare - I can't think
> of an equivalent urban site (sadly no examples even at Pompeii) with
> an in situ anvil, although it is sometimes posible to identify
> the position of the anvil from the scatter of HAMMERSCALE which builds
> up around the anvil when hot metal is hammered. One controversial
> aspect of smithies concerns the identification of the blacksmith's
> hearth. Contemporary illustrations normally show these to be at waist
> height rather than at floor level, yet in my experience archaeologists
> tend to identify any hearth-like structure associated with debris as
> a smithing hearth. Did any footings for such a structure survive at Bath.
>
> I should be very interested to know more about the site, including any
> evidence for the degree of specialisation of the ironworker.
>
>
> ps for anyone interested in finding out more about the procedures and
> value of identifying hammerscale a data sheet on the subject has been
> produced by the Historical Metallurgy Society. Send a sae to the address
> below
>
>
>
> *******************************
> David Starley
> English Heritage
> Ancient Monuments Laboratory
> 23 Savile Row, London W1X 1AB
> tel (0171) 973 3306
> fax (0171) 973 3330
> *******************************
>
>
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