English Heritage Student Placement -

English Heritage Placement

2004-2005

In the early 2000s, the English Heritage Technology Team used a range of scientific and archaeological techniques to investigate crafts and industries ranging in date from the Bronze Age to the modern day. I was lucky that my first ever job was a student work placement with this team based in Fort Cumberland, Portsmouth. The grade II listed building is an 18th-19th century pentagonal artillery fortification erected to guard the entrance to Langstone Harbour.

A range of equipment was available to study the ancient materials. Scientific analysis can provide information on such topics as craft skills, the economic status of archaeological sites and their trade links. During the placement I used the following equipment;

Microscopes
Hardness tester
Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS)
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)
X-Ray diffraction (XRD)

During the placement, I did a variety of research projects, these can be seen below. Many of the reports can be found in my publications.

The Butts, Worcester

Analysis of Roman iron slag and metal waste from the site.

Tap slag, furnace lining and a piece of iron bloom identified. The Romans were using iron ores from Forest of Dean to smelt iron. The iron bloom appeared to have been cooled quickly.

Sturton Foundry, South Petherton

Analysis of copper alloys and mould fragments.

Pieces of mould fragments showed that both cauldrons and skillets were being cast at the site, and some had makers marks. The analysis revealed an leaded antimony bronze alloy was being used.

Bedminster Glasshouse

Analysis of glass and residues from 18th century glasshouse

The majority of glass waste found at Bedminster was similar in composition to glass fragments found. The chemical signature of the glass showed that less plant ash than in earlier glasses.

Hounslow Cupels and Porcelain

Analysis of cupels for separating precious metals from ore or base metals.

The cupels were found located in the Isleworth pottery, along with pieces of bone ash porcelain. The analysis confirmed the suggestion that they were being crushed and used in the bone china recipe.

Roman brooches

Photography of a selection of Roman enamel brooches from Nor Nour

Close up examination of the enamel using a microscope showed how they were constructed. Analysis of the brooch metals showed the typical range of Roman copper alloys.

Hammerscale Experiment

Took part in filming to investigate how hammerscale forms

A high-speed camera was used to record spherical hammerscale formed during welding. The liquid metal is squeezed out of the join, and mid-air, the surface tension causes it to form a sphere.

Brandon Lead Pad

Examination of an unusual Anglo-Saxon lead pad with marks on the surface

A series of marks were recorded and analysed, using microscopes and SEM. It was highly likely the lead pad was used in metalworking, but the marks were too large to be from producing gold foils

Bloodmoor Hill

Analysis of copper alloys, crucibles and moulds from Anglo-Saxon settlement

A new Early Saxon crucible type was identified. Surface analysis revealed mostly leaded tin bronzes. Some of the recovered objects from the sites matched the moulds discovered.

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