Iron production in the Western Roman Empire : a diachronic study of technology and society based on two archaeological sites
This thesis presents the results of a two-pronged research methodology examining iron smelting in the Western Roman Empire. It combines exploration of epigraphic, literary and archaeological evidence into the contexts of iron production, with archaeometric analyses of a suite of debris and raw materials drawn from two sites of Roman period iron smelting in the Western Empire: Clatworthy in the southwest of the UK where smelting spanned the early 1st to late 2nd /early 3rd centuries, and Semlach-Eisner in the Carinthia region of Austria where ferrum Noricum was produced during the early 1 st to early 4th centuries AD. By combining these two areas of research, variation in iron smelting at single sites over comparatively short periods of time was detected, and where evidence was sufficient, these were linked to fluctuations in the social, economic and other contexts. Sources of disruption most visible included the political upheaval of the mid-to-late 3rd century AD, and the change in administrative structure and increase in state oversight seen from the late 2nd century AD onwards. More localised fluctuations were discerned, though these remained difficult to resolve at both sites due to the limited Roman period
Fillery-Travis, Ruth
Iron production in the Western Roman Empire : a diachronic study of technology and society based on two archaeological sites. This thesis presents the results of a two-pronged research methodology examining iron smelting in the Western Roman Empire. It combines exploration of epigraphic, literary and archaeological evidence into the contexts of iron production, with archaeometric analyses of a suite of debris and raw materials drawn from two sites of Roman period iron smelting in the Western Empire: Clatworthy in the southwest of the UK where smelting spanned the early 1st to late 2nd /early 3rd centuries, and Semlach-Eisner in the Carinthia region of Austria where ferrum Noricum was produced during the early 1 st to early 4th centuries AD. By combining these two areas of research, variation in iron smelting at single sites over comparatively short periods of time was detected, and where evidence was sufficient, these were linked to fluctuations in the social, economic and other contexts. Sources of disruption most visible included the political upheaval of the mid-to-late 3rd century AD, and the change in administrative structure and increase in state oversight seen from the late 2nd century AD onwards. More localised fluctuations were discerned, though these remained difficult to resolve at both sites due to the limited Roman period
iron_production western roman_empire diachronic_study technology society base archaeological_site present two_pronged examine iron_smelt western roman_empire combine exploration epigraphic literary archaeological_evidence context iron_production archaeometric analysis suite debris raw_material draw two_site roman_period iron_smelt western_empire southwest smelt early late early centuries date region austria produce combine_two area variation iron_smelt single_site comparatively short_period time detect evidence sufficient link fluctuation social_economic context sources disruption visible included political_upheaval change administrative_structure increase state oversight see onwards localised fluctuation discern though remain difficult resolve site due limited roman_period