MEM15411 - Iron Age or Roman smithing at Timberscombe Enclosure (Monument)

Evidence of iron working was identified within the possibly Iron Age hillslope enclosure at Timberscombe. The evidence comprised a scatter of smithing slag confined to one corner of the earthwork enclosure. It is suggested this may represent a smithy serving the enclosure and its immediate environs. [1] Low intensity geochemical survey identified two anomolies that are potentially related to metal working within the area of the Timberscombe enclosure. The date of the anomolies and the type of metal working they represent are uncertain, but it is possible the hill-slope enclosure was a metal-production site in the later prehistoric and Roman periods. [2] Gradiometer survey identified two areas of anomalies indicative of possible iron-rich or burnt deposits within the hill-slope enclosure, but provided limited evidence for iron working. The results did not provide evidence for intense in situ burning indicative of furnaces, smelting or ore roasting. [3]