Research data supporting "The Use of Coal for Ferrous Metallurgy in Roman Britain"

This dataset consists of original research data supporting the thesis “The Use of Coal for Ferrous Metallurgy in Roman Britain,” by Elizabeth La Duc, under the supervision of Prof. Marcos Martinón-Torres and Martin Millett. The thesis investigated the use of coal for iron production in Roman Britain through the analysis of metallurgical production debris, mainly related to blacksmithing, from the main case study of Aldborough, Yorkshire, and from York (Marygate), Yorkshire; Housesteads and Corbridge, Northumberland; and Ribchester and Walton-Le-Dale, Lancashire. Artefacts and samples were kindly provided by the Aldborough Roman Town Project, by Historic England (Housesteads and Corbridge), English Heritage (Ribchester), MAP Archaeological Practice (York: Marygate), and Oxford Archaeology North (Walton-le-Dale). The data is organised in folders by site. Within each folder there are sub-folders for individual artefacts; the sub-folders are named with the artefact number, the sample number, and the artefact classification. The sub-folders include the following: - Photographs of the artefact from multiple viewpoints, taken with a digital camera in camera RAW mode. White balance and exposure correction were performed in Adobe Photoshop, then the images were exported as .jpgs to limit file size. - Photomicrographs, in .jpg format, of the sample embedded in a polished block, imaged using a VHX-600 Keyence digital microscope. Images were taken at 200x magnification under plane- and cross-polarised light, with some additional images taken at 20x - 50x magnification, under normal light and with or without a diffuse filter. Stitching and rotation of the images was performed with the Keyence software and/or with Adobe Photoshop. - Results of analysis of the sample with SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscopy-electron dispersive spectroscopy). Quantitative results for chemical composition were processed with Oxford Instrument’s AZtec software, using the software’s built-in calibrations, and then exported as .xlsx files, which have been annotated with the analytical site number and a description of the analysed area. The associated SEM-BSE (scanning electron microscopy-back scattered electron) images, in .jpg or .tiff format, are named by analytical site number, for images exported from Oxford Instrument’s AZtec software, or are named with a running number, for images exported from the Zeiss or Hitachi SEM microscope software. Additional information on SEM analysis and instrumentation is provided in the thesis itself. - The folder for Aldborough also includes two spreadsheets, in .xlsx format, listing the phase, context, weight, and dimensions of SHBs (smithing hearth bottoms) and the weight of slag and associated production debris by context and category from Aldborough. Classification methods for slag are described in the thesis.