Beechwood near Inverness in Scotland is revealing well-preserved evidence of metalworking hearths or furnaces, apparently for working iron (iron slag was discovered on site).
A spokesman said: "The metalworking evidence from Beechwood is providing clues that there were two ironworking areas on site.
One is a possible clay-lined ironworking hearth or furnace and a dump of waste material, and the other, a spread of debris from smelting and blacksmithing which appears to come from an area now lost to modern urban expansion.
Iron slag, the waste material left behind after smelting and blacksmithing, is not an uncommon find on archaeological sites but the survival of metalworking hearths or furnaces is much rarer."
Story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18840754 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18840754)
Could this be a site from which the Caledones armed themselves for their epic struggle with Agricola at Mons Graupius?
Quote of the day: "Archaeologists believe the discoveries date to the Iron Age."
Patrick
Quote from: Patrick Waterson on July 15, 2012, 09:59:07 AM
Could this be a site from which the Caledones armed themselves for their epic struggle with Agricola at Mons Graupius?
Patrick
Not unless they were using weapons stockpiled for hundreds of years - the dates are 400-100 BC.