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Pooled Resources an Experimental Investigation of Salt Production and Pottery Manufacture Within the LIA and Romano-British Landscape of Poole Harbour, Dorset

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Pooled Resources an Experimental Investigation of Salt Production and Pottery Manufacture Within the LIA and Romano-British Landscape of Poole Harbour, Dorset Pooled Resources An experimental investigation of salt production and pottery manufacture within the LIA and Romano-British landscape of Poole Harbour, Dorset. Figure 1 Evaporation vessels heating water over hearth (Personal Collection 2018) Phillip James Trim BSc (Hons) A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Bournemouth University for the degree of Master by Research. September 2018 1 This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. 2 Abstract Pooled Resources: An experimental investigation of salt production and pottery manufacture within the LIA and Romano-British landscape of Poole Harbour, Dorset. Phillip Trim This paper explores links between Late Iron Age and Romano-British industries, around Poole Harbour, Dorset. Focusing on two major economic activities in the production of salt and a major pottery industry, South East Dorset Black Burnished Ware 1 (SEDBB1). Excavation has revealed evidence for a landscape heavily exploited for production and trade from the Late Iron Age. Previous work has identified potential links between crafts in their production techniques, common resources and post-production distribution (e.g. Gerrard 2008; Trim 2017). The irrational distribution of SEDBB1 has been examined theoretically and the ware has been suggested as a proxy for the distribution of Poole Harbour Salt. Examining this hypothesis, this study takes a practical approach to exploring craft commonality and expand the available knowledge of past Poole Harbour industries. Utilising experimental archaeology, to replicate the salt production process, and conventional fieldwork techniques, an increasing scale of industry through time is observed. The role of briquetage elements, technological change and the intended use of SEDBB1 are also clarified. A desk based assessment of spatial and temporal distribution within the study area suggests the presence of a proto-oppidum and the role of imperial control in the success of Poole Harbour products. The study concludes that there is validity to using SEDBB1 as a proxy for other products, though only to military markets. Additionally suggesting Poole Harbour as a major supply facility for the Roman Army, with potential connections with the Classis Britannica. 3 Acknowledgements I was once told that writing a thesis becomes easier at each attempt, I now know this to be false. Without the tremendous help of a variety of people, completion of this project would not have been given. My first thanks must go to my supervisory team, Dr Eileen Wilkes and Dr Derek Pitman. First of all for agreeing to be my supervisors for a second time, officially or not. Secondly for steering me down a path that I hadn’t intended to go, but with the benefit of hindsight was a much better project to be involved with. For continuing to be a brilliant sounding board, checking my appaling grammar: ) and generally keeping me on track – thank you Eileen you’re the best! Without the availability of land, raw materials and slave labour the project would not have run very far at all, and so thanks are due to all the Pitman family. Especially Derek who has helped me to become confident in what I do, allowed me to carry out my own excavation and continues to get me excited about this and other projects (920 AD!!!!). I must also extend thanks to other members of the academic staff who have helped in various ways throughout the project. Professor Kate Welham, Paul Cheetham, Harry Manley, Damian Evans, Professor Tim Darvill, Dr Andy Brown, Iain Hewitt, Professor Mark Brisbane, Dr Ellie Hambleton, Dr Mark Maltby and Dr Miles Russell. Thank you all for your input and patience through this and the previous five years. If I’ve missed anyone I apologise profusely. Outside of the academic staff my thanks must also go to Tom Brown, President of the BU Archaeology, Anthropology and Historical Society, and society members for their help and enthusiasm throughout the pottery workshops. To the same and all the students from 2018’s summer field school for their help in building kilns, digging clay and generally making a mess in Derek’s back yard. In particular though I must thank the two Hayden’s, Scott-Pratt and Dunn, Sam Hirst and Craig Gray for your invaluable help during the surveying, excavation and kiln building. Help and advice from outside of university circles has also been of great assistance to me. In particular I offer thanks to Peter Cox, Ben Buxton, Sarah-Jane Hathaway, Martin Papworth and Dan Carter for your assistance in tracking down grey literature and offering advice. Lastly and most importantly I thank Majbritt, min skat, you as ever have been a shining light in my life and without your support in so many different ways I would almost certainly be a gibbering mess by now. Jeg elsker dig!! 4 Contents List of Figures and Tables in Text ............................................................................ 8 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1 – Literature Review ............................................................................. 13 The importance of Salt ....................................................................................... 13 Salt Production: An Overview ............................................................................. 14 Poole Harbour – An Iron Age and Romano-British Industrial Heartland .............. 15 Production Sites of LIA and RB Poole Harbour ............................................... 15 Salt Production in Poole Harbour ....................................................................... 16 Briquetage – Evaporation Vessels .................................................................. 18 Briquetage – Hearth Furniture......................................................................... 20 Hearths ........................................................................................................... 24 Industrial Connections – SEDBB1 ...................................................................... 27 Pooled Resources .......................................................................................... 27 Post Production Connections .......................................................................... 28 Chapter 2 – Rationale, Aim and Objectives ....................................................... 31 Missing Links ..................................................................................................... 31 Objectives .......................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 3 - Fieldwork .......................................................................................... 37 Site and Technique Selection ............................................................................. 37 Geophysical Survey ........................................................................................ 37 Excavation ...................................................................................................... 39 Site Visits and walkovers .................................................................................... 40 Shipstal Point, Arne ........................................................................................ 40 Boathouse Clump, Upton ................................................................................ 41 Geophysical Survey: Boathouse Clump ............................................................. 42 Survey Results ............................................................................................... 42 Discussion of Survey Results ......................................................................... 46 Trial Excavation: Point Ground, Wytch Farm ...................................................... 49 Results ........................................................................................................... 49 Chapter 4 – Spatial Changes over Time ............................................................. 52 Methods and Methodology ................................................................................. 52 Poole Harbour: Current Landscape and Recent Changes .................................. 53 Middle Iron Age – A Starting Point...................................................................... 58 Late Iron Age – Occupation and Exploitation of Poole Harbour resources. ......... 60 Early 1st Century AD – Rising Sea Levels ........................................................... 62 Late 1st Century AD to 2nd Century AD – Roman Occupation ............................. 63 5 Mid to Late Roman Occupation – Regaining market control ............................... 66 Summary ............................................................................................................ 68 Late Iron Age Poole Harbour........................................................................... 68 Romano British Poole Harbour ........................................................................ 69 Chapter 5 – Briquetage Production .................................................................... 72 Experimental Archaeology – a valid approach? .................................................. 72 Clay Preparation ................................................................................................
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