SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURY BRONZE CASTING FROM COWICK STREET, EXETER, DEVON

Author(s): David Dungworth

Excavations at Cowick Street, Exeter (1999-2000) revealed 16th and 17th Century pits. These were originally dug to obtain clay for the manufacture of moulds and were back-filled with waste moulds, fragments of vessels and waste metal. The moulds provided evidence for the manufacture of domestic vessels (cauldrons and skillets), although the occupiers were known as bell-founders. Nineteen samples of metal were examined and analysed to determine the types of alloys used. In most cases the copper alloy used was characterised by the presence of tin, antimony and lead, with minor amounts of arsenic, iron, nickel and zinc. This type of alloy was widely used for the manufacture of large domestic castings at this time.

Report Number:
19/2002
Series:
CfA Reports
Pages:
10
Keywords:
Metal Working-non Fe

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