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Peter, The evidence so far qualifies your suggestion and vitrified material is certainly attached to stonework discovered. I have discounted any suggestion of a furnace lining. Dr. Marcos Martinon-Torres at UCL has offered a feasible explanation for the use of ground down pottery sherds (see Britarch List) and his suggestion certainly fits what I am finding. I will email you off list with current situation of excavation. Trevor ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Claughton" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 12:44 PM Subject: Re: Shattered and Splintered Pottery Sherds > At 01:00 05/02/06, Jerry L. Bryant, RPA wrote: >>I tried to send you a photo of the artifacts in question, but the list >>server had objections. > > Jerry, > > The list is set to reject attachments - send them direct to Trevor - his > address will be in the message header. > > Trevor, > > The ore hearth, which we believe was the process being used at Combe > Martin from the late 16th into the 17th century, was, on the evidence from > Derbyshire and Yorkshire, stone built with no clay lining. The key > component in the hearth was the workstone, set at the base of the hearth, > which allowed the smelter to bring partially smelted ore forward into an > oxidising atmosphere, initiating the chemical process which released the > metallic lead (the roast/reduction process). One would expect the > stonework of the hearth to be vitrified. > > Peter > > > Peter > > ______________________________________________ > > Dr Peter Claughton, > Blaenpant Morfil, nr. Rosebush, Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 > 7RE. > Tel. +44 (0)1437 532578; Fax. +44 (0)1437 532921; Mobile +44 (0)7831 > 427599 > > Hon. University Fellow > School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Centre for South Western > Historical Studies) > University of Exeter > 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/ > > _____________________________________________ > >