DE VLOER VAN EEN SMIDSE TE WIJNALDUM (FR.)

Samenvatting

During excavations at Wijnaldum a feature was uncovered which could not be adequately inter­preted in the field. For further investigation it was brought to the laboratory of conservation and material science of the Department of Ar­chaeology in Groningen. The feature contained loam, charcoal, snippets of metal plate and hammer scale. Hammer scale is emitted during the forging of hot iron on an anvil. It is emitted either as globular particles or as platelets of scale. The minute size of hammer scale ensures its preservation in situ. Therefore the feature is the floor of a smithy. The charcoal was radio­carbon dated and calibrated to AD 136-386. The floor was composed of alternating layers of loam and corrosion. This demonstrates that the smith frequently operafed at this location, which implies the presence of a workshop with a func­tional layout. In addition, it indicates that the smith was not itinerant but actually lived on the terp.