Tag: Austwick

Guest Blog: Medieval lime kiln excavated in Crummack Dale, Yorkshire Dales

 

244 close up of burnt lime and other burnt material on kiln floor
Close up of burnt lime and other burnt material on kiln floor.

In 2013 members of the Ingleborough Archaeology Group investigated what proved, by a suite of radiocarbon dates, to be two early medieval sites in Crummack Dale in Austwick parish on the southern flanks of the Ingleborough massif. Within one of the sites – dated to cal AD 760-900 – a circular pit-like feature on the edge of the complex showed strong magnetic anomalies. Given that raw iron ore, from the Millom area, and a range of iron artefacts had been logged from the two sites, it was felt important to investigate the pit to determine if it had been in any way connected to iron production. In fact, it proved through excavation to have been a sow kiln, a type of clamp lime kiln formed by cutting a bowl-shaped hollow into a natural bank. Unusually for excavated sow kilns in the Dales, this one was intact – all other excavated examples had had the lintel and perimeter capstones removed at some point after abandonment.

247 flue lintel with burnt lime in flue passage entry to kiln bowl
Flue lintel with burnt lime in flue passage entry to kiln bowl.

Large quantities of burnt lime were found within the flue and lining the base of the bowl as well as significant amounts of charcoal. Though many of the samples were from long-lived species (ash and oak), several were from short-lived smallwood species (willow/poplar and blackthorn-type) Two of these, from different parts of the bowl, were submitted to SUERC for radiocarbon dating.

The dates that came back were totally unexpected. One sample (SUERC-49564, GU-32195) came out at cal AD 1026-1162 at 95.4 % confidence level (1039-1153 at 68.2%); the other (SUERC-49563, GU-32194) at cal AD 1043-1225 at 95.4% (1117-1225 at 74.1%).

Radiocarbon dates from a sow kiln excavated in the Forest of Bowland in 2009, also supervised by the undersigned, were thought to be incredibly early, namely cal AD 1185-1280 at 95.4%, and cal AD 1205-1280 at 93.2% (SUERC-26208, GU-19814). The dates from the Crummack Dale kiln are even more astonishing and, thus far, a literature trawl has failed to locate any earlier examples from remote, rural examples.

250 general view of the kiln on completion of the excavation
General view of the kiln on completion of the excavation.

Once work on the complexes has been completed later this year, a full report on the early medieval sites and the kiln will be compiled and published.

My sincerest thanks to Dr David Johnson for sharing this with the Medieval Section.