by
Published by Brislington Community Archaeology Project
Publication date February 2012
Booklet 297x200mm
Illustrated - 5 pages colour photographs, 5 maps
39 pages
It has been said that wherever you sink a spade in Brislington, you strike archaeology. This dig is a case in point. It was organised as a simple test excavation to determine what - if anything - was at the site, but what the team discovered was a remarkable legacy from a lost industrial past.
The site contained a large quantity of roasted Pennant sandstone, including one piece that still contained iron ore. The rest of the roasted ore was destined for the bloomery furnace, whose diagnostic metallic 'tap slag' was excavated in abundance. There was very little dating evidence for this feature, but there was one piece of pottery - and it caused some excitement at the local museum as the closest comparison sherd was Iron Age. It seems that this speculative test excavation had the remarkable fortune to produce the first Iron Age artefact from this part of Bristol.
This report was written by the Site Director, who was also at that time the chair of the Brislington Community Archaeology Project.
Text © Ken Taylor 2012 - 2013
