Monument record MLI97380 - Iron working site (probably Iron Age or Romano-British) at Knaith Park
Summary
Iron working site (probably Iron Age or Romano-British) at Knaith Park
Type and Period (4)
- IRON WORKING SITE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC? to 409 AD?)
- ARTEFACT SCATTER (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- METAL WORKING SITE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC? to 409 AD?)
- FURNACE (Early Iron Age to Roman - 800 BC? to 409 AD?)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
During geophysical survey along the West Burton gas pipeline by GSB Prospection Ltd in April 2007 a localised area of geophysical anomalies was revealed. These features were interpreted as industrial activity such as kilns which possibly date from the Roman period. {4}
An iron working site was located at Knaith Park in September 2008, during trial trenching carried out in advance of the construction of a new gas pipeline. The iron working remains occurred on the eastern side of the evaluated area (Trenches 4 and 6), where two broad hollows were located, containing slag and other iron working residues. In Trench 6, Romano-British pottery (three sherds) and slag were recovered from an overlying deposit. The excavated features are considered by Jane Cowgill to be too large to be interpreted as hearths or furnaces. However, the slags indicated iron smelting as well as primary smithing (the smithing of blooms into bar form), and possibly secondary smithing, although the latter is deemed unlikely to have taken place on a smelting site. The slags probably derived from a pit furnace(s) rather than a slag-tapping furnace(s), since there was an absence of the true cakes which would have been formed by the latter. Hammerscale, (including a concreted lump, possibly derived from a smithy floor) was found on the site, as well as at least two clay tuyeres (furnace air holes). Pit furnaces are usually Iron Age to early Roman in date. The iron working site coincides with an area of magnetic enhancement identified by the earlier geophysical survey, while an area of comparatively dark soil was noted during fieldwalking along the pipeline route. {1}{2}{3}
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SLI12619 Report: AC Archaeology. Jan 2009. Natural Gas Pipeline from Grayingham, Lincolnshire to West Burton, Nottinghamshire: Archaeological Evaluation. AC1123.
- <2> SLI12620 Archive: AC Archaeology. Jan 2009. Natural Gas Pipeline from Grayingham, Lincolnshire to West Burton, Nottinghamshire: Archaeological Evaluation. -.
- <3> SLI12621 Unpublished Document: COWGILL J. Jan 2009. The Iron Working Slag at Knaith Park. AC1123.
- <4> SLI11387 Report: GSB Prospection Ltd. 2007. Geophysical Survey Report: West Burton Gas Pipeline. -.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 84673 85821 (100m by 100m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | KNAITH, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jan 5 2024 12:26PM
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