--- 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
*******************************



%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%