Hi Bart,
No, this area was almost completely agricultural.
One can see evidence of introduction of material (limestone
in more or less linear features)for improving cart tracks
across previous fields [this 47 acresused to be 5 separate
fields -ref Enclosure Map of 1803 - with two cart tracks] but
the nearest industrial under-taking was a water mill some
300 m distant. The field shows what I think is a 'manuring'
spread (in the northern half of the field) of Romano-British
potsherds from ~100 to 300 AD and medieval up to Victorian
potsherds (in the southern half of the field). Worked flint
is also evident across the full extent of the field.
It is in the southern half that the slag is evident, but not in
any great concentration. We are currently walking 20% of the area
- 10 m tracts - but as the setter-up of this grid, I get to see
more than our walker/collectors do, but even so, this slag is
no more than 'occasional' with negligible concentration.
With no analytical opportunity for closer examination of the
material, I had hoped to be able to dismiss it as 'modern'
but would need some firm reassurance before I did that.
The fact that this meadow was (and may still be) flood plain,
mitigates against even occasional smelting, I would estimate?
Regards,
Roger Gelder
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arch-Metals Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Bart Torbert
> Sent: 28 February 2006 20:41
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Basic slag - fertilizer or?
>
>
> Hello Roger,
>
> Was there any known smeltering activity in the area in the
> past? Maybe this was used as a dump gound.
>
> Bart
>
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: Roger Gelder <[log in to unmask]>
> > Undertaking a fieldwalking exercise of a 47 acre wheat
> field and have
> > encountered several items of slag.
> >
> > This particular section of field, however, would have been
> flood-plain
> > through-out the first millenium and poorly drained for most
> of the next
> > few centuries, which would seem to preclude any smelting work?
> >
> > I note that from the 1920s/30s slag is refered to as
> 'ground' but this
> > material is 'chunky' - sections ranging from 3 to 10 cm, some
> > plough-worn (rounded) some plough-fractured (angular). Colour is
> > mostly black - some grey - and one larger piece almost white with
> > streaks of iron embedded in the matrix. Most appears highly glazed
> > although a few pieces were almost fibrous.
> >
> > So, what would the first/original basic slag, used as
> fertilizer, have
> > looked like, please? Thanks for help,
> > Roger Gelder
>
>
>
>
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