Comments on: Introduction (or, what do you do with 70kg of Roman glass waste?) http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/ A year of research into the glassworkers of Roman London Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:26:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.5 By: Angela http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/#comment-103 Angela Mon, 12 May 2008 13:31:09 +0000 http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/#comment-103 Greg, Thank you very much for your comments -- sorry for the long delay in replying - its all been pretty busy here and I have fallen behind with the blog. No, I have not given a talk in Finchley, although I am about to speak to a society in Hendon on this and other topics. We have evidence for other glass-working sites in several places in Roman London, among them evidence for kilns (not reconstructable) in the area of modern Old Bailey, but as far as I know Brockley Hill produced only pottery. John and I are working on a booklet about the Basinghall Street site which will summarise the London evidence -- to be published later this year. There has been much work recently on the design of kilns and Roman glass-working techniques in general by the Roman glassmakers, Mark Taylor and David Hill http://www.romanglassmakers.co.uk/. They have a fascinating and very informative website, with pictures of their experimental furnaces. Well worth a look! Greg,

Thank you very much for your comments — sorry for the long delay in replying - its all been pretty busy here and I have fallen behind with the blog. No, I have not given a talk in Finchley, although I am about to speak to a society in Hendon on this and other topics.

We have evidence for other glass-working sites in several places in Roman London, among them evidence for kilns (not reconstructable) in the area of modern Old Bailey, but as far as I know Brockley Hill produced only pottery. John and I are working on a booklet about the Basinghall Street site which will summarise the London evidence — to be published later this year.

There has been much work recently on the design of kilns and Roman glass-working techniques in general by the Roman glassmakers, Mark Taylor and David Hill http://www.romanglassmakers.co.uk/. They have a fascinating and very informative website, with pictures of their experimental furnaces. Well worth a look!

]]> By: Angela http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/#comment-102 Angela Mon, 12 May 2008 11:27:26 +0000 http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/#comment-102 It is difficult to identify this sort of thing without seeing it, but it is very unlikely to be anything to do with Roman glass-working. It could be from a much later industry, or it might be geological. You don't say which part of Wales you found this material, which sounds very interesting, but the best thing would probably be to take a sample to a local museum for identification. They would know more about the geology of the region and might be able to help you. It is difficult to identify this sort of thing without seeing it, but it is very unlikely to be anything to do with Roman glass-working. It could be from a much later industry, or it might be geological.

You don’t say which part of Wales you found this material, which sounds very interesting, but the best thing would probably be to take a sample to a local museum for identification. They would know more about the geology of the region and might be able to help you.

]]> By: debs http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/#comment-44 debs Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:46:40 +0000 http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/#comment-44 I was wondering if you can give me some advice. I have read your article with interest as when walking with my family in Wales we noticed in a patch of ploughed field adjacent to a country public footpath there were hundereds of shiny glassy looking rocks. On closer inspection the colours of these ranged from dark green through to light blue and obviously molten lumps of what we presume is glass. The lumps are from ftennis ball size to small fragments. They were very dense and hardly translucent, only a small fractured piece can light be seen thorugh. Other pieces were like swirled layers of colour, alsmost like the natural malachite stone. We have serached the internet and local history records of the area, but the only things that come up in this area is a few rural Roman sites some miles away and near the location acient lime kilns. Would you have any clue what these lumps of glassy stones are? We can send you a sample. Debs I was wondering if you can give me some advice. I have read your article with interest as when walking with my family in Wales we noticed in a patch of ploughed field adjacent to a country public footpath there were hundereds of shiny glassy looking rocks. On closer inspection the colours of these ranged from dark green through to light blue and obviously molten lumps of what we presume is glass. The lumps are from ftennis ball size to small fragments. They were very dense and hardly translucent, only a small fractured piece can light be seen thorugh. Other pieces were like swirled layers of colour, alsmost like the natural malachite stone.

We have serached the internet and local history records of the area, but the only things that come up in this area is a few rural Roman sites some miles away and near the location acient lime kilns.

Would you have any clue what these lumps of glassy stones are?

We can send you a sample.

Debs

]]> By: Greg Williams http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/#comment-28 Greg Williams Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:03:04 +0000 http://mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/romanglass/introduction/#comment-28 Angela, Thank you for giving such a detailed insight into you work on this project. Did I miss a talk by you on this recently in Finchley? You might be interested in these papers on glassmaking/origins etc Page 2: http://www.hebrewhistory.info/factpapers/fp006-2_glass.htm Do you know if there is any work on Roman kilns - locations, design, in the UK? Around Edgware - a days journey from Westminster along Watling Street- there's Brockley Hill which appears to have made enough pottery for distribution (finds) around the UK. But there's also something in Canons Park said to be Tile kilns. The area became part of the estate of the Duke of Chandos, but I suspect a Roman Villa may lie beneath the house - now a school. Ceramic tile rejects and shards have been found apparently, but no glass (so far). Good luck with your breathtaking project Angela,
Thank you for giving such a detailed insight into you work on this project.
Did I miss a talk by you on this recently in Finchley?
You might be interested in these papers on glassmaking/origins etc
Page 2:
http://www.hebrewhistory.info/factpapers/fp006-2_glass.htm

Do you know if there is any work on Roman kilns - locations, design, in the UK?
Around Edgware - a days journey from Westminster along Watling Street- there’s Brockley Hill which appears to have made enough pottery for distribution (finds) around the UK.
But there’s also something in Canons Park said to be Tile kilns.
The area became part of the estate of the Duke of Chandos, but I suspect a Roman Villa
may lie beneath the house - now a school. Ceramic tile rejects and shards have been found apparently, but no glass (so far).
Good luck with your breathtaking project

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