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Two New Romano-British Iron-working Sites in Northamptonshire — A new type of Furnace?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2011

D.A. Jackson  and
R.F. Tylecote
D.A. Jackson
Affiliation:
37, Hunsbury Close, Hunsbury Park, Northampton
R.F. Tylecote
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, Gordon Square, London
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Extract

As a result of recent road improvements, two examples of a hitherto unknown type of iron-working furnace have been found in Northamptonshire. These are at Laxton Lodge (SP068971) and Byfield (SP505515), at different ends of the county (FIG. I). Most Romano-British furnaces belong to the shaft type which has a maximum diameter of 0–5 m. The more recently found furnaces are between 1–1.4 m in internal diameter which means that the method of working them must have been quite different from the smaller shaft furnaces.

Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 19 , November 1988 , pp. 275 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © D.A. Jackson and R.F. Tylecote 1988. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 Work at both sites was organised by Northamptonshire County Council Archaeology Unit and carried out with the help and co-operation of the County Surveyor. An archaeological watching-bricf at Half Crown Corner Bends. south of Byfield, was undertaken in June and July 1985, with separate salvage excavation carried out at Laxton Lodge later in the year. Most of the site work at Laxton was carried out by volunteers, and thanks are due to Jane Bale, Patrick Foster and Stephen Young for their regular support, and to Gill Johnson in particular for carrying out most of the recording. Patrick Foster has drafted the plans and sections used in this report, Jean Eiscnhauer has drawn the pottery, and FIGS 9, 11 and 12 are by Alan Williams. Other assistance on the illustrations has been given by R. Friendship-Taylor. Specialist contributions are acknowledged from Elizabeth MacRobert and Sally Parker. Brian Dix kindly read and commented upon a draft of the text.

2 Royal Commisssion on Historical Monuments. Archaeological Sites in N-E Northants. (1975). 61. Also Northamptonshire Sites and Monuments Records.

3 Jackson, D.A., Northants Arch. xiv (1979), 31–37.Google Scholar

4 Jackson, D.A. and Ambrose, T.M., Britannia ix (1978), 115–242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

5 op. cit (note 2), 38.

6 op. cit. (note 2), Archive.

7 op. cit. (note 3), fig. 4, 34–36, (note 4), fig. 24, 154.

8 op. cit. (note 4), 151–166.

9 ibid, fig. 16, 141–147.

10 ibid, 151–166.

11 ibid, fig. 16, 141–147.

12 Imp. Mineral Resources Bull. UK Part i, (HMSO, 1922), 48.

13 op. cit. (note 4), 151–166.

14 op. cit. (note 3), fig. 5, 34; (note 4), fig. 26, 154–5.

15 Op. Cit. (note 4), fig. 22, 151.

16 A road running in the direction of Laxton leaves the Ermine Street to the north of Durobrivae; op. cit. (note 2), R.C.H.M. Route 571, fig. 127, 177.

17 Van Noten, F. in Haaland, R.L. and Shinnie, P. (eds), African iron working (Bergen, 1985), 102–120.Google Scholar

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22 Todd, M., Antiq. Journ. xlviii (1968), 192–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

21 M.O. Howe, J.R. Perrin and D.R. Mackreth. Roman pottery from the Nene Valley: A Guide Peterborough City Museum, Occasional paper no. 2 (1980).