An early medieval lead-smelting bole from Banc Tynddol, Cwmystwyth, Ceredigion
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Published
Nov 10, 2021
Abstract
Excavations in 2002 at Cwmystwyth, in Central Wales, found an ancient lead smelting site. There are remains of the medieval and the Roman periods. This paper describes in brief the excavation of the medieval lead bole (Timberlake 2002a) but also provides an archaeological reconstruction of this and details of an experimental lead smelt carried out at the site in 2003 (by ST). The analytical study (by LA) is of the medieval metallurgical debris excavated in 2002, mostly slag, but also ore and lead. The aim was to understand the raw material, the metal produced and the smelting process. The ore smelted was predominantly galena but with no detectable silver, showing it was probably exploited to produce lead. The extremely high sulphur content of the slag indicates that the ore was not roasted before smelting. It is argued that the medieval activity was small-scale, smelting a very rich ore. The furnaces apparently did not require much capital investment, enabling a short-lived and/or exploratory smelting operation.
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References
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Hughes S J S H 1990, The Darren Mines (Sheffield: British Mining 40).
Jenkins D and Timberlake S 1997, ‘Geoarchaeological research into prehistoric mining for copper in Wales’. Unpublished report to the Leverhulme Trust, University of Wales, Bangor.
Jones O T 1921, Lead and zinc: the mining district of north Cardiganshire and west Montgomeryshire. Memoirs of the Geological Survey: Special reports on the mineral resources of Great Britain 20 (London).
Kiernan D and Van de Noort R 1992, ‘Bole smelting in Derbyshire’, in L Willies and D Cranstone (eds), Boles and smeltmills (Matlock Bath: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 3), 19–21.
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Mighall T M, Grattan J P, Lees J A, Timberlake S and Forsyth S 2002, ‘An atmospheric pollution history for Pb-Zn mining in the Ystwyth Valley, Dyfed, mid-Wales, UK’, Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis 2, 175–184.
Murphy S 1992, ‘Smelting residues from boles and simple smeltmills’, in L Willies and D Cranstone (eds), Boles and smeltmills (Matlock Bath: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 3), 43–47.
Radley J 1970, ‘A triple cairn and a rectangular cairn of the Bronze Age on Beeley Moor’, Derbyshire Archaeological Journal 89, 1–17.
Rehren T and Prange M 1998, ‘Lead metal and patina: a comparison’, in T Rehren, A Hauptmann and J Muhly (eds), Metallurgica Antiqua, in honour of Hans-Gert Bachmann and Robert Maddin (Bochum: Der Anschnitt Beiheft 8), 183–196.
Timberlake S 1990, ‘Excavations and Fieldwork on Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth, 1989’, in P Crew and S Crew (eds), Early mining in the British Isles (Plas Tan y Bwlch), 22–29.
Timberlake S 2002a, ‘Cwmystwyth, Banc Tynddol (gold disc)’, Archaeology in Wales 42, 97–98.
Timberlake S 2002b, ‘Medieval lead-smelting boles near Penguelan, Cwmystwyth, Ceredigion’, Archaeology in Wales 42, 45–59.
Timberlake S 2003, Excavations on Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth (1986-1999): An Early Bronze Age copper mine within the uplands of Central Wales (Oxford: British Archaeological Reports, British Series 348).
Timberlake S 2004, ‘Cwmystwyth, Banc Tynddol (grave and Beaker gold disc)’, Archaeology in Wales 44, 137–139.
Timberlake S 2009, ‘Copper Mining and metal production at the beginning of the British Bronze Age’, in P Clark (ed), Bronze Age connections: cultural contact in prehistoric Europe (Oxford), 95–122.
Tylecote R F 1986, The prehistory of metallurgy in the British Isles (London).
Tylecote R F 1987, The early history of metallurgy in Europe (London).
Williams S W 1889, The Cistercian abbey of Strata Florida: its history, and an account of the recent excavations (London).
Willies L and Cranstone D (eds) 1992, Boles and smeltmills (Matlock Bath: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 3).
Blanchard I 1992, ‘Technical implications of the transition from silver to lead smelting in twelfth century England’, in L Willies and D Cranstone (eds), Boles and smeltmills (Matlock Bath: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 3), 9–12.
Chambers W 1858, ‘Letter from Hafod, July 29’, Mining Journal [for 1858], 513.
Davies O 1936, ‘Early Mining Sites in Wales’, Report Annual Meeting British Association for the Advancement of Science, Section H, 304–305.
Davies O 1937, ‘Early Mining Sites in Wales’, Report Annual Meeting British Association for the Advancement of Science, Section H4, 301–303.
Dobson M R 1995, ‘The Aberystwyth District’, Geologists’ Association Guide No 54 (London), 89–91.
Geller R F, Creamer A S and Bunting E N 1934, ‘Research Paper No RP 705’, Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards, 13, 237–244.
Hughes S J S H 1981, The Cwmystwyth Mines (Sheffield: British Mining 17).
Hughes S J S H 1990, The Darren Mines (Sheffield: British Mining 40).
Jenkins D and Timberlake S 1997, ‘Geoarchaeological research into prehistoric mining for copper in Wales’. Unpublished report to the Leverhulme Trust, University of Wales, Bangor.
Jones O T 1921, Lead and zinc: the mining district of north Cardiganshire and west Montgomeryshire. Memoirs of the Geological Survey: Special reports on the mineral resources of Great Britain 20 (London).
Kiernan D and Van de Noort R 1992, ‘Bole smelting in Derbyshire’, in L Willies and D Cranstone (eds), Boles and smeltmills (Matlock Bath: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 3), 19–21.
Lewis 1967 Lead Mining in Wales (Cardiff).
Meyrick S R 1907, The history and antiquities of the county of Cardiganshire (Brecon).
Mighall T M, Timberlake S, Grattan J P and Forsyth S 2000, ‘Bronze Age lead mining at Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth—fact or fantasy?’, Historical Metallurgy 34(1), 1–12.
Mighall T M, Grattan J P, Lees J A, Timberlake S and Forsyth S 2002, ‘An atmospheric pollution history for Pb-Zn mining in the Ystwyth Valley, Dyfed, mid-Wales, UK’, Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis 2, 175–184.
Murphy S 1992, ‘Smelting residues from boles and simple smeltmills’, in L Willies and D Cranstone (eds), Boles and smeltmills (Matlock Bath: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 3), 43–47.
Radley J 1970, ‘A triple cairn and a rectangular cairn of the Bronze Age on Beeley Moor’, Derbyshire Archaeological Journal 89, 1–17.
Rehren T and Prange M 1998, ‘Lead metal and patina: a comparison’, in T Rehren, A Hauptmann and J Muhly (eds), Metallurgica Antiqua, in honour of Hans-Gert Bachmann and Robert Maddin (Bochum: Der Anschnitt Beiheft 8), 183–196.
Timberlake S 1990, ‘Excavations and Fieldwork on Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth, 1989’, in P Crew and S Crew (eds), Early mining in the British Isles (Plas Tan y Bwlch), 22–29.
Timberlake S 2002a, ‘Cwmystwyth, Banc Tynddol (gold disc)’, Archaeology in Wales 42, 97–98.
Timberlake S 2002b, ‘Medieval lead-smelting boles near Penguelan, Cwmystwyth, Ceredigion’, Archaeology in Wales 42, 45–59.
Timberlake S 2003, Excavations on Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth (1986-1999): An Early Bronze Age copper mine within the uplands of Central Wales (Oxford: British Archaeological Reports, British Series 348).
Timberlake S 2004, ‘Cwmystwyth, Banc Tynddol (grave and Beaker gold disc)’, Archaeology in Wales 44, 137–139.
Timberlake S 2009, ‘Copper Mining and metal production at the beginning of the British Bronze Age’, in P Clark (ed), Bronze Age connections: cultural contact in prehistoric Europe (Oxford), 95–122.
Tylecote R F 1986, The prehistory of metallurgy in the British Isles (London).
Tylecote R F 1987, The early history of metallurgy in Europe (London).
Williams S W 1889, The Cistercian abbey of Strata Florida: its history, and an account of the recent excavations (London).
Willies L and Cranstone D (eds) 1992, Boles and smeltmills (Matlock Bath: Historical Metallurgy Society Occasional Publication 3).
How to Cite
An early medieval lead-smelting bole from Banc Tynddol, Cwmystwyth, Ceredigion. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 44(2), 85-103. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/150
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