Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Notes from meeting with Joe 2023-03-13 - Coggle Diagram
Notes from meeting with Joe 2023-03-13
Brandier's Farm Excavations
Joe's role
At start of project, offered as large a role as he desired. Could not accept full responsibility due to PhD commitements, and not qualified to lead such a project.
In first year of excavation (2022), participated in sampling strategy and supervised excavation of one trench. Anton ran all other aspects of project on a day to day basis.
Will likely have to step back on this participation due to increasing PhD intensity this year and next year
Peter Warry handled CBM processing on site, and has apparently completed analyses on assemblage already. No Fabric analysis done!
Joe has box of all 'flue tile' from excavations
Ongoing excavations
Year 2 (2023) planned already. Project likly to last three years, though final year may not be consecutive.
Will be exploring new area in field over hedge, which revealed geophys traces of a possible settlement
Will be interesting if indeed settlement, or if large villa complex!
Current status of excavation/project
No interim report yet in preparation
No clear dating evidence found, and present dating relies only on stamped tiles(!). Only one dateable sherd of mortaria in late backfill => likely to postdate kiln operation
Apart from CBM (looked at by Peter Warry) processing of finds/report writing only just getting started
Next excavation in June
Joe's Roman Baths Visits
Data sharing
Provided both thesis and (today in meeting) data from PhD
Talked Joe through my data and made him aware of the most useful files and tables for his research => may reduce need for visits to RB, or at least make him much more aware of what he can look at and how to find it
Of course, gave him permission to reuse my data in his onw thesis
Objectives
Interested in seeing all complete flue tiles from RB assemblages. As has my measurements, unclear how many more visits he will need, or if my measurements are sufficient
On previous visit, could not access stores as it was flooded. Only got to take measurements from tiles on display.
Joe's research progress
PCA plot of dimensions (6 months old)
Some trends emerging, but still early stages of results. In attached digram, different grouping of combed, incised etc. in relation to PCA analyses of height/width/depth etc.
PCA done in R, which is good!
Different vents shapes to be fed into this too
One finding is that military production is associated with diamond vents, and will be interesting to see if associated with many different legions or if individual legions had own traditions too
Earlier components seeming larger, circle vents may also be more typical of earlier production too. Will be great to see how this research develops!
In second year, collected hundreds of data points so far. Included reanalysis of HVs from Beauport Park assemblage excavated by Brodribb originally
Considering dimensions, vent sizes, shapes etc. for 'flue' tiles, primarily box flue tiles and hollow voussoirs - presumably other types too?
Clearly appreciates problems of using formula on HVs vs situation and variation 'on the ground', so to speak
Recommended Block Layer site to him as well, as a great resource
Note: Joe lives in Chichester!
Future research (collaboration?)
Joe had fantastic idea of applying forensic software to preserved finger/thumb prints on Roman tiles. May be able to identify sex and approximate age of print.
Great idea on a production site level, but would be fantastic to be able to target specific phases of construction at places like the Roman Baths. E.g., HV01 or HV02 tiles from RB/Minety?Brandiers (if any show up)
Need to reach out to the forensic PhD student who did the footwear, as they may be a great starting place to contact other researchers or get to grips wth technique and feasibility of it.
In particular, what info can it reliably provide? Does it need to be a 3D cast, a 3D model, or can it be done with only a small number of photographs per imprint? Does it need to be flat or can it recognise more complex prints?
Possible collaboration between Joe and I in future
Would be great to collaborate to arrange a relaxe gathering of CBM specialists to share recent research and talk through ideas on field
Hold it at the Roman Baths as a mini conference?
General Discussion Topics
Possible Gallic origin of Sussex workshop/HV idea
Need to work to link British CBM with that from the Continent, and Armchair voussoir vault perhaps best prototype given cavities and strong spine/ribs
Problems of dating relief-patterned tile, and problems of early use at sites with Continental links (Silchester), with no tradition or use of this on Continent!
Talked him through my argument of dismissing Machin and Fulford claims through the use of the development of Hollow voussoirs, particularly those with strong links to RP using workshops.
Implies WH HVs from West Sussex (early) and RB HVs from HV02 (Minety)!
Noted problems in Machin and Fulford ideas more generally - "a can of worms"
Discussed process of commissioning building project with HV's
Mentioned that he should read opening chapter of Lancaster's book, as has excellent discussion of anicent evidence and process of this
Discussed whether HVs produced as stock for common sizes, or whether produced on a project by project basis
Could be either, but study of Roman columns suggests that there were no stock sizes, and given that HVs tailored to vault size suggested that it is likely to be the same case here
Also discussed implications from Diocletian Edict, and significant time between commissioning workshop and payment upon receipt!
Joe did calculations based on cost of fuel and price of components in Edict, and seems that Kiln site owners would have been raking it in!
Also had very similar thoughts about corruption/dishonest interests of wealthy landowners (and kiln site owners) using influence to secure building projects
Music to my ears!
Position of Minety/Brandier's Farm sites
Road networks in region excellent
Should be some sort of connecting road/trackway visible between these sites and Fosse Way/Ermine Way, yet nothing obvious
Surprising as volume of carts heavily laden with CBM should have made significant impact, e.g., Hollow Way in BA field systems, or as at quarries around Bath
Joe did mention a sites in Somerford Keynes (near water park) excavated by OA. Founds stacks of tiles broken, perhaps by roof fall? Perhaps a builder's merchant or warehouse for projects in Cirencester
Joe is hoping to visit the OA archives to examine the CBM recovered from that site
Value and role of CBM, and relationship with building stone
Discussed common viewpoint that CBM is low value, lego-block like
Talked about role of CBM in Cotswolds (stone rich) region, and how local stone was cheaper and often easy to access locally, whereas CBM used often for specialised bathhouse applications
Also talked about interrelationships between stone and CBM even for roof tiles, and comparative absence of stamped tile within 20km of Bath => local replacement of CBM roof tiles with nearby Pennant Sandstone roofing by heyday of stamping in early second century?
Change comes later in Cotswold, perhaps because it took exploitation of Stonesfield Slate from Oxs to supplant CBM prominence
Itinerancy of relief-patterned tile makers
Talked about how movement probably due to limited clientele widely dispersed, particularly in earliest phases
In contrast, later text-stamped tiles have much more active market, and much more concentrated, to supply.
Market still locally and regionally dispersed, but excellent transport network means single kiln site more practical solution than itinerancy
