Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-g5fl4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-26T00:41:01.823Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Excavation of a Roman Tilery on Great Cansiron Farm, Hartfield, East Sussex

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2011

David R. Rudling
David R. Rudling
Affiliation:
The Field Archaeology Unit, Institute of Archaeology, London
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

During the winter of 1981/2 Giles Swift of the Wealden Iron Research Group discovered in a ploughed field on Great Cansiron Farm, Hartfield, East Sussex (TQ 45603835) an area of burnt clay and Roman tile, together with a few pieces of Roman pottery. The site, which lies close to a small stream, is located between an extensive Roman iron-working site to the south-west and possible large Roman iron-ore quarries to the north-east (FIG. 1). In advance of further plough damage, during the summer of 1982 the Field Archaeology Unit (Institute of Archaeology) undertook a trial excavation and survey in order to attempt to interpret and date the site more precisely. This work was funded by the Department of the Environment and East Sussex County Council. The 1982 investigations revealed a well-preserved Roman tile kiln and a rectangular floor of tile and burnt clay. Unfortunately extremely inclement weather during the second half of the excavation meant that it was impossible, given the time and resources available, to finish excavating either of these discoveries. The farmer, Mr Udell, kindly agreed to leave and plough around the excavation area and a second season of excavations was undertaken in 1983 thanks to the financial backing of East Sussex County Council and Keymer Handmade Clay Tiles of Burgess Hill, Sussex. In between the two excavations, staff of the Ancient Monuments Laboratory carried out a geophysical survey of the area to the west of the tile kiln.

Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 17 , November 1986 , pp. 191 - 230
Copyright
Copyright © David R. Rudling 1986. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Bristow, C.R. and Bazley, R.A., ‘Geology of the Country around Royal Tunbridge Wells’, Mem. Geol. Surv. U.K. (1972).Google Scholar

2 Geological Survey of Great Britain (England & Wales) Sheet 303 and Allen, P., Proc. Geol. Ass. lxxxvi (4) (1975), 389–437.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

3 Tebbutt, C.F., Sx. Arch. Colls, cx (1972), 10–13.Google Scholar

4 Tebbutt, C.F., Sx. Arch. Colls, cxix (1981), 57–64.Google Scholar

5 Swift, G., Bulletin of the Wealden Iron Research Group, 2nd Series No 2, (1982), 10–21.Google Scholar

6 I.D. Margary, Roman Ways in the Weald (1965).

7 Goodchild, R.G., Surrey Arch. Colls, xlv (1937), 74–96.Google Scholar

8 Grimes, W.F., Holt, Denbighshire. The Twentieth Legion at Castle Lyons. Y Cymmrodor xli (1930).Google Scholar

9 McWhirr, A. (ed.) Roman Brick and Tile B.A.R. Int. Ser. 68 (1979).Google Scholar

10 op. cit. (note I).

11 Brodribb, G., Current Arch, lxxxix (1983), 175–177.Google Scholar

12 op. cit. (note 9), 395.

13 op. cit. (note 9), 363–73.

14 A.W.G. Lowther, A Study of the patterns of Roman Flue-Tiles and their distributions. Research paper of the Surrey Archaeological Society, I, 4. (1948).

15 op. cit (note 9), 215.

16 op. cit. (note 14).

17 E. Black, pers. comm.

18 op. cit. (note 9), 386–7.

19 op. cit. (note 14), 7 and 25.

20 op. cit. (note 9), 386.

21 op. cit. (note 14), 10.

22 op. cit. (note 9). 383.

23 E. Black, pers. comm.

24 op. cit. (note 14), 6; op. cit. (note 9), 376–379; Black, E.W.. Oxford Journ. Arch, iv (1985), 353–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

25 op. cit. (note 14), 10.

26 op. cit. (note 9), 384.

27 M.J. Lawrence and R.W. Brown, Mammals of Britain, Their Tracks, Trails and Signs (1973).

28 op. cit. (note 9), 239.

29 ibid., 233, 236.

30 My special thanks to Paul Tyers and Alan Vince of the D.U. A. who not only tailored a computer programme to suit my needs but spent a great deal of time supervising the input and output of the data and contributed many valuable comments. My thanks to Clive Orton and Kevin Flude for putting me in touch with the former, to Dr Williams, and to the following experts, many of whose useful comments and suggestions have been incorporated into this report: Ernest Black, Gerald Brodribb, Talbot Green, Mark Hassall, Alan McWhirr, Mike Stone and Fred Tebbutt and the staff of Keymer Tiles. Naturally all opinions expressed are my own responsibility.

31 Green, C.M. in Bell, M.G., Sx. Arch. Colls, lxv (1977), 154–6.Google Scholar

32 Money, J.H., Britannia viii (1977), 349.Google Scholar

33 Down, A., Chichester Excavations 3 (1978).Google Scholar

34 Arthur, P. in Arthur, P. and Marsh, G. (eds.), Early Fine Wares in Roman Britain and Beyond, BAR 57 (1978), fig. 8, 4 no. 2, 1.Google Scholar

35 The analysis of the Hartfield Roman pottery was undertaken as part of an undergraduate course at the Institute of Archaeology, London. I would like to thank Valery Rigby, Catherine Johns and Caroline Cartwright for their help and advice in the preparation of this report.

36 C. Isings, Roman Class (1957).

37 M. Guido, The Glass Beads of the Prehistoric and Roman Periods in Britain and Ireland, Report for the Res. Comm. of the Soc. of Antiq. of London. No. XXXV. (1978), 100.

38 ibid.

39 Born, H., Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz (Festschrift Hundt), Vol. 2, XXII (1975), 134 ff.Google Scholar

40 Price, J. in du Plat Taylor, J. and Cleere, H. (eds.), Roman Shipping and Trade. Britain and the Rhine Provinces CBA Research Report 24 (1978), 74.Google Scholar

41 Gallois, R.W., The Wedden District H.M.S.O. (1965).Google Scholar

42 ibid.

43 ibid.

44 Geological Survey of Great Britain (England and Wales) Sheet 303.

45 op. cit. (note i).

46 Freke, D.J., Post-Med. Arch. xiii (1979), 79–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

47 Highley, D.E., Proc. Geol. Ass. lxxxvi (4) (1975), 559–569.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

48 Figg, W., Sx. Arch. Colls, ii (1849), 313–315.Google Scholar

49 op. cit. (note 7).

50 op. cit. (note 31), 339–350.

51 Brodribb, G., Current Arch, lxxvii (1981), 177–181.Google Scholar

52 Darvill, T. and McWhirr, A., World Archaeology xv (3) (1984), 239–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

53 Mawer, A. and Stenton, F.M., The Place-names of Sussex, Part 2 (English Place-Name Society, vol. 7) (1930), 328.Google Scholar

54 The Conservators of the Ashdown Forest (C.A.F.), Unpublished Manuscript Vol. 1, 218–220.

55 H. Cleere and D. Crossley, The iron industry of the Weald (1985).