Sarah-Jane Hathaway - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

PhD Thesis by Sarah-Jane Hathaway

""It has long been known that areas such as Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Essex were intensely explo... more ""It has long been known that areas such as Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Essex were intensely exploited for salt in the Iron Age and Romano-British periods. Previous research has tended to focus on the eastern coast of Britain, with less attention being paid to other potential salt-producing areas.

In previous studies in southern Britain, much emphasis has been placed on the distribution of salt and the ‘equipment’ used to produce and potentially transport salt - briquetage. Much less attention has been paid to the production process.

This research project directly addresses this imbalance, by placing the emphasis on to the study of the production sites, and by creating and analysing a new dataset to contextualise sites using a holistic perspective. The analysis of salt-production sites has redefined the archaeological terminology for salt production, and has critically evaluated how these sites have been incorporated into the archaeological record.

The re-categorisation of the archaeological remains on a site by site basis has enabled the formation of a comprehensive dataset for the first time. This has enabled a regional and chronological comparison of salt-production in southern Britain to be undertaken.

The analysis has shown that despite problems of incorrect perceptions of salt production practices, inconsistent recording and categorisation, and severe site damage by human and natural forces, it is possible, to inject concepts of ‘agency’ and ‘identity’ into these sites by exploring evidence of technological choice and use of space.

It was possible to identify distinctive ‘working areas’ containing features (hearths and brine tanks) where the main stages of salt-production were carried out.

New ‘Modes of Salt-Production’ have been created in order to compare different methods of organisation and ‘site management’ across time and space. These modes enable a new approach about salt-production to be made set in the wider context of supply networks and specific consumer markets.

This research has shown that there were significant regional and chronological variations in salt-production; with three main areas of activity identified in Somerset, Dorset and Kent. The most significant chronological change was the substantial increase in salt-production during the 1st century A.D. followed by its decline in the 2nd century A.D in Kent and Dorset. However, this was not the case in Somerset, where the dominant period of salt-production occurred between the 2nd and 4th centuries A.D.

The identification of regional trends in the scale and organisation of production, as well as the rich diversity of sites, shows that producers adapted to changes in the supply and consumption of salt over time. Considerably more salt would have been required to supply the growing population in the 1st century A.D and this encouraged the creation of many new production sites. However, the diversity in site character suggests that there was little tight control of coastal salt-production sites at that time. It is argued that instead, focus was placed upon the exploitation of salt from inland brine springs in Cheshire and Worcestershire. This is evidenced in the organisation, technology and creation of military supply bases close to these sites.

Instead, it is argued that the Roman invasion formalised and expanded existing supply networks from coastal salt-production sites, in addition to creating new inland networks. This resulted in the creation of more formal ‘production and/or distribution centres. It is also probable that the emergence of uniform salt-production sites in Somerset in the later Roman period, reflects that this area had become predominant for the supply of salt to major ‘consumer sites such as legionary fortresses and the larger towns.
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Chapter 4.0 presents the archaeological evidence according to the processes/stages of salt-produc... more Chapter 4.0 presents the archaeological evidence according to the processes/stages of salt-production and within these categories highlights evidence for 'know-how' and skillsets long lost. These categories present

The previous two chapters (3.0-4.0) have provided a general overview of the archaeological eviden... more The previous two chapters (3.0-4.0) have provided a general overview of the archaeological evidence for salt-production within the study area. The following two chapters allow for a more detailed overview into two of the four 'key areas of activity': Kent and Somerset .3.1). Although Dorset and Hampshire are also key areas of activity, discussion is limited by a lack of well-preserved and recorded archaeological evidence attributable to salt-production. Therefore, these areas will be discussed in the wider context of the study area in 7.0.

As stated in Appendix 10.0, the fieldwork was designed to address the lack of data on the nature ... more As stated in Appendix 10.0, the fieldwork was designed to address the lack of data on the nature of the distinctive mounds scattered across the Central Somerset Levels. It was also completed in order to shed more light on a potentially very important area of later Romano-British salt-production. As shown in the core data results (3.1.2.2), there is strong evidence for Late Iron Age and Early Romano-British salt-production in the study area, but in comparison, there were less sites for Middle-Late Romano-British salt-production.

This chapter will consider evidence of the 'everyday' decisions made by small groups of people by... more This chapter will consider evidence of the 'everyday' decisions made by small groups of people by observing subtle differences in material culture.

This research has successfully revealed new information and insights about the organisation and t... more This research has successfully revealed new information and insights about the organisation and technology of salt-production in southern Britain and has achieved the aim and objectives defined for this project. This has been achieved by using new approaches, which have enabled the creation and application of new definitions. These two achievements will be summarised below.

Fieldwork Reports by Sarah-Jane Hathaway

This is an unpublished report (grey literature) of fieldwork conducted in the Somerset Levels dur... more This is an unpublished report (grey literature) of fieldwork conducted in the Somerset Levels during 2008 as part of doctoral research into Romano-British salt-production (Hathaway 2013). This report is also incorporated into the appendices of the main thesis and futher fieldwork results, information and discussion, including the wider context and the valuable contribution this work made to the final thesis outcome, can be found in Chapter 6 of the main text in the thesis. This fieldwork was funded by Bournemouth University through a three year studentship and bursary. Included in this report is a summary of the excavation as well as more detailed geophysical survey results with accompanying images. The fieldwork investigated and revealed several briquetage debris mounds resulting from salt-production. This included the discovery of a new mound on higher ground, suggesting that the known and visible mound group (which number 100+) are much higher in number. This is also confirmed by the revealing of mounds buried under at least 1m of alluvium, exposed by the River Huntspill.

Conference Presentations by Sarah-Jane Hathaway

"Session Abstract: This session provides an overview of current and new approaches to the invest... more "Session Abstract:
This session provides an overview of current and new approaches to the investigation and interpretation of ancient and traditional salt-production sites. Earlier studies of salt-production have often been limited by a lack of well-preserved sites and a bias in the evidence preserved, resulting in a heavy reliance on briquetage form studies. Fortunately, the investigation and revealing of new sites in the last two decades, as well as new projects exploring and preservation of traditional salt-production, which can greatly inform on ancient techniques and organisation, have significantly accelerated and expanded our understanding of this important industry. This session firstly explores the creation of Ecosal; a project bringing together traditional salt-production sites and salt makers from different countries. Then there is an emphasis on research which aims to contextualise earlier salt-production in their greater environs, including organisation of production, the impact of production on surrounding landscape, and the use of modern techniques (LIDAR) to enrich the number of known sites as well as their position in the landscape. New approaches to briquetage studies will also presented, which aims to explore new ways in which this material can be used to reconstruct technique, as well as use of space (in the workshop). New ways of sampling sites will also be discussed. At the end of the session there will also be the opportunity for the speakers and the audience to contribute to a workshop focused on pragmatic and much needed strategies to investigate and make sense of salt-production sites in the archaeological record. This will include discussion and debate about the best way that this can be achieved, and the issues arising when working with these often challenging sites.

Workshop Abstract:
Realising potential and getting the most out of the site: Exploring the Identification, processing and interpretation of a prehistoric/Roman salt-production site. This workshop will provide an arena for the sharing of experience gained from the archaeological investigation and subsequent interpretation of these sites. Identifying and making sense of these often fragmented sites can be challenging, as well as the processing of potentially vast quantities of briquetage. However, with a prior understanding of the way space can be used in these sites, as well as the types of features that can be expected, and their relationship to each part of the process, it is possible to reconstruct much about these sites, even with limited evidence. The method of processing these sites is also important, and sampling of briquetage as well as the removal of systematic environmental samples, can greatly enrich understanding of these sites. Finally, the significance and position of these sites in the wider landscape and environs, which has been traditionally less focused upon in the past, can provide much context as to the modes of organisation, as well as areas of more intense production, and the potential environmental impact of these sites on their surroundings. This workshop provides an opportunity to share key information and new methods, as well as an opportunity for questions and aims to ‘demystify’ these sites and look toward the creation of a framework for future work.

Organisers: Sarah-Jane Hathaway and Andrew Fielding"

Previous discussions of salt-production, including the organisation and distribution of salt in I... more Previous discussions of salt-production, including the organisation and distribution of salt in Iron Age and Roman Britain, have traditionally rested upon the study of briquetage forms and distribution. This is not surprising given substantial amount and excellent preservation of briquetage in the archaeological record. This is in comparison to the often fragmented, incomplete salt-production sites themselves. It could be argued therefore, that this has created a significant bias in our understanding and perception of salt-production in general. Whilst briquetage does provide many insights into technological choice, and importantly the technique of production, it is just one element of a much larger picture. Discussions have also often tended to rely upon older sources, which in themselves, were based upon a relatively limited understanding of the evidence. Fortunately however, this has started to change, especially due to the revealing of new and better preserved sites over the last two decades.

Due to the general lack of in depth study into the organisation of salt-production in southern Britain, before creating a new theoretical structure for this, examples of other ‘organisational modes’ for other production processes were explored. This included modes of pottery production (Peacock, 1982), and similar modes of textile production (De Roche, 1997). Salt-production sites have their own unique character, and therefore as opposed to attempting to apply these modes directly to salt-production sites, a new set of modes were created. This was achieved primarily, by focusing upon sites from the three key salt-producing regions in southern Britain during the Iron Age and Roman period: Somerset, Dorset and Kent.

"This paper will discuss a new and innovative approach towards the understanding of coastal salt ... more "This paper will discuss a new and innovative approach towards the understanding of coastal salt production using the briquetage or pot process technique in the Iron Age and Roman-British period. It has often been the case that Roman studies are approached from a traditionally more socio-political based approach when compared to prehistoric studies. Production processes in the prehistoric period are often viewed from a more symbolic viewpoint, explained in terms of a ‘magical’ event for example, where actors play out the event with culturally specific and ‘set’ roles. Moving onto the Romano-British period, production processes are often immediately explained in terms of product output, profit, political control and labour input. This approach often overlooks the subtle differences between each site and appears to prioritise the so called ‘controlled’ larger group over the individual.
This research firstly deconstructs the way in which we perceive record and understand these sites in order to gain a clearer overview of their actual state and nature. Secondly, a less limiting approach based on a holistic viewpoint, is used to interpret the evidence and reconstruct the sites. This particular approach is taken in order to better assess the changes in, and significance of, salt production throughout the Iron Age and Romano-British period. The emphasis is placed much more upon individual participation and technological choice, lifecycles of not only the artefacts, but also of the site (the archaeological features) are also briefly considered here.
"

'It is the child of the sun and the sea, two basic symbols of cleanliness and purity.' (Visser, 2... more 'It is the child of the sun and the sea, two basic symbols of cleanliness and purity.' (Visser, 2005:109)

‘Salt of the Earth’; ‘Take with a pinch of salt’; ‘Worth his salt’; ‘Above or below the salt’; these are just a few examples of familiar sayings still in use in the English language today. Salt it is fair to say, has had an important part to play within the development of our society, and others before us, all over the world. The story of salt is one of contradictions: it can preserve our food; it can corrode metal; it can provide our livestock with essential nutrition but it can make land infertile; essentially it can give and take away. Our perception of salt in modern times, at least within the UK, is rather negative. This is due to the growth of evidence that too much salt in the diet is detrimental to our health. We are regularly bombarded with advertisements warning us of the perils of salt within our diet. However, in contrast to this, research into the production and consumption of salt in the past is beginning to flourish.

This paper is a result of ongoing research on the evidence for prehistoric and Roman salt production sites along the southern coast of Britain. While carrying out this research it is becoming clearer that not only do we need to readdress the recording and interpretation of the archaeological evidence itself, we also need to incorporate the cultural significance of producing and consuming salt in the past. This includes the use of salt to preserve food, as well as that of taste. Salt does not taste the same the world over, and the taste is very much dependant on the method used to extract it, it is not always white, and it can include a spectrum of reds, pinks and greys. As a part of this research, the role of salt all over the world within prehistory and history is being explored, including looking to ethnographic evidence and known customs, traditions and superstitions that are still embedded within our culture today.

Visser, M., 2005. The Edible Rock In: Korsmeyer, C. (ed.) The Taste Culture Reader: Experiencing Food and Drink. Oxford: Berg, 105-109

It was possible to identify distinctive ‘working areas’ containing features (hearths and brine tanks) where the main stages of salt-production were carried out.

Organisers: Sarah-Jane Hathaway and Andrew Fielding"

Visser, M., 2005. The Edible Rock In: Korsmeyer, C. (ed.) The Taste Culture Reader: Experiencing Food and Drink. Oxford: Berg, 105-109

There is growing archaeological evidence for the presence of many coastal salt production sites d... more There is growing archaeological evidence for the presence of many coastal salt production sites dated from the Iron Age and Romano-British period along the southern coast of Britain. How can we identify and interpret this evidence? Were there key locations that were chosen for this industry and if so, where are they? There is evidence that salt production had a key role to play in the economics of work and trade in Poole Harbour, Portsmouth, Chichester and Langstone Harbour. Southampton is located within this general production zone, is there evidence for salt production here also?

This talk will also consider the potential for Iron Age and Romano-British salt production on the Southampton coast when placed in the context of key sites in Dorset and Hampshire.

What exactly constitutes an Iron Age/Romano-British salt production site? What information can be gained from studying these sites? Can any cultural significance associated with the act of consuming of salt be inferred?

These sites have often found themselves on the physical (coastal) and cognitive periphery of current research into the Iron Age, which has resulted in many assumptions based on evidence that is still in need of a better understanding. The evidence in archaeological literature, if considered at all, has been interpreted in a very functionalistic manner, with a lack of thinking into why and how salt was produced. Are these sites all the same? Are there individual differences that could infer any subtle differences in the way salt was produced and consumed across time and space by different people? The associated material ‘briquetage’ has been given a variety of negative connotations within archaeological literature and as a result, has often been overlooked. It is not without significance that this research finds itself in a volatile contemporary arena where we are constantly bombarded by the media of the perils of consuming salt in our diet.

'Most of us tend to disregard our tastes in the face of current beliefs about what is good for us or just the opposite.'
(Denton, 1984:427)

Recent work had shown that in order to understand production sites it is essential to gain a firm grasp on the technological choices employed. This can be greatly assisted by experimental archaeology and ethnographic studies. This work has also focused upon the way in which salt has been consumed, with more work being carried out on the use of salt as a taste additive and a preserver of food on-site. These sites have the potential to play a key element in understanding technological choice and consumption practices.

Denton, D., 1984. The Hunger for Salt. An Anthropological, Physiological and Medical Analysis. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Visser, M., 2005. The Edible Rock In: Korsmeyer, C. (ed.) The Taste Culture Reader: Experiencing Food and Drink. Oxford: Berg, 105-109

"It is the child of the sun and the sea, two basic symbols of cleanliness and purity." (Visser, 2... more "It is the child of the sun and the sea, two basic symbols of cleanliness and purity." (Visser, 2005:109)

What exactly constitutes an Iron Age salt production site? What information can be gained from studying these sites? Can any cultural significance associated with the act of consuming of salt be inferred?

These sites have often found themselves on the physical (coastal) and cognitive periphery of current research into the Iron Age, which has resulted in many assumptions based on evidence that is still in need of a better understanding. The associated material ‘briquetage’ has been given a variety of negative connotations within archaeological literature and as a result, has often been overlooked. It is not without significance that this research finds itself in a volatile contemporary arena where we are constantly bombarded by the media of the perils of consuming salt in our diet.

"Most of us tend to disregard our tastes in the face of current beliefs about what is good for us or just the opposite." (Denton, 1984:427)

Denton, D., 1984. The Hunger for Salt. An Anthropological, Physiological and Medical Analysis. New York: Springer-Verlag.

Visser, M., 2005. The Edible Rock In: Korsmeyer, C. (ed.) The Taste Culture Reader: Experiencing Food and Drink. Oxford: Berg, 105-109

"Session Abstract: "How is salt produced in the archaeological and historical record? How can we ... more "Session Abstract: "How is salt produced in the archaeological and historical record? How can we recognise and interpret the evidence for the innovation, production and consumption of this valuable commodity? How far can the evidence for the production and consumption of salt in the archaeological record be traced? How have the remains been affected by environmental and taphonomic factors? This is especially true for coastal production sites where there are so many environmental and preservational factors affecting the archaeological remains.

The location of this conference in Cracow, provides an ideal setting for a session on salt production. This session intends to review our current understanding of the salt production process, through assessing the archaeological and historical evidence as well as current interpretation and trends of thought in this subject area. There are many different strands of evidence that can be assessed, from directly looking at the remains of the process in the form of archaeological features and associated material remains such as briquetage, to faunal remains indicating the use and consumption of salt, to related patterns of trade and exchange.

Recent work had shown that in order to understand production sites it is essential to gain a firm grasp on the technological choices employed, this can be greatly assisted by experimental archaeology and ethnographic studies. This work has also focused upon the way in which salt has been consumed, with more work being carried out on the use of salt as a taste additive and a preserver of food on-site. Recent work has also clearly shown that these sites have potential to play a key element in understanding the structure of communities, especially those in coastal areas. The location of sites on the coast means they can act as valuable indicators in relation to local environmental change and sea level rise. There is also growing evidence that salt production was not the only process carried out on some sites and that it potentially integrated well with other production processes.

By embracing all of these different strands of evidence and current theory, focus can be placed upon the wider social and economic issues of salt in society as a whole. We can only begin to answer some of the many questions arising from the evidence of this process by opening up and integrating the research with other disciplines and current theory.

Speakers:

Sun, Sea and Salt: An overview of the Iron Age and Romano-British coastal salt production (700BC-450AD) in the UK. Sarah-Jane Hathaway

A saltern landscape: Romano-British salt production in the Somerset Levels. Richard Brunning

The environmental impact of salt production sites in France. Naomi Riddiford

Salt in the prehistoric diet and the possible misinterpretation of anomalous clay fragments excavated from a salt working site.
Jacqui Wood

The evidence for salted pork on Late Iron Age salt production sites. Mark Maltby

Session Summary: The half day session entitled ‘Salt of the Earth: Salt Production and Beyond’ was arranged thematically, looking at the production, trade and consumption of salt in the archaeological record. Particular focus was placed upon the evidence for prehistoric and Roman salt production and consumption in the UK and France. The methodology used to record salt production sites along the coast of Britain was addressed by Sarah-Jane Hathaway, who discussed evidence for the associated archaeological remains and material culture (known as briquetage). These remains included gullies, ditches, enclosed hearths, open hearths and settling tanks, as well as debris mounds created by the waste briquetage. Choices made for the location of these sites, especially estuaries, harbours and marsh areas were outlined. A case study from the Somerset Levels in the UK was presented by Richard Brunning. This included discussion of the later Roman remains, and the issues surrounding the preservation of the site. Evidence for the duration, scale and organisation of this activity was also discussed, as well as the restrictions placed upon the investigation of the site as a result of development-funded archaeology. The environmental impact of salt production sites upon the Seille Valley, in Eastern France during the Iron Age was discussed by Naomi Riddiford , using environmental data obtained from core samples. Then possible evidence for the preparation and trade of salted meat was discussed by Mark Maltby, using case studies of animal bone data obtained from Iron Age and Roman sites in the UK. Finally, the use of salt in prehistoric cooking was discussed by Jacqui Wood, who also suggested that some associated material culture (briquetage) could have been misinterpreted, and in fact may been used in ‘clay cooking’. The session was successful in providing examples of the many implications that arise from studies of salt production and consumption, when attempting to interpret the importance of this resource."