NEWS Archaeologists excavate ancient tannery

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Salve, guys & Ladies!

 

Archaeologists excavating an ancient tannery believed to be the largest ever found in Rome

 

What do you think about it?

 

Cheers and good luck!

[ASCLEPIADES]

Salve, guys!

 

AND HERE'S A PIC:

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Salve, guys!

 

And, from the Dartford Town Archive, here comes a brief abstract about Roman tanning in Britannia:

 

"The Romans used leather for all sorts of purposes including the manufacture of clothes, shoes, and horse harness. The remains of a tannery pit were discovered by archaeologists at Lullingstone Roman Villa, providing first-hand evidence of an interesting industrial activity. Further evidence for the local tanning industry was found on the site of Northfleet Villa.

 

There were six main stages involved in the tanning of skins. Firstly, the skins had to be thoroughly washed and soaked in water for the removal of blood and the cleaning of the outer surface. After washing, the skins were immersed in a potent mixture of lime and water to loosen the hair which could then be scraped away. The process of fleshing then took place; fat from the underside of the skin was scraped away with a knife. A second washing process was undertaken to remove any traces of lime. The actual tanning process involved the laying of the skins in a vat or pit containing vegetable liquor of varying strength, for varying periods. Finally, the skins were removed from the tanning pit, coated in oil and hung in a current of air to dry slowly.

 

The Lullingstone tannage pit was dug into natural chalk and lined with clay so that it retained liquid. A leather sheet was spread over the bottom of the pit and over thirty old leather sandals added to promote the tanning process. Once prepared, the pit was filled with a strong solution of water and acid juices from fruit that had probably been pulped for the purpose. Archaeologists found large quantities of seeds, pips and fruit-stones in the remains of the pit. Fruit identified included sloe, bird-cherry and cherry-plum. The tannery was equipped with its own drainage system, pipes and gullies.

 

The presence of pottery in the tannage pit helped to date it to the last decade of the second century or the very early third century A.D. It would seem that the villa at Lullingstone became temporarily abandoned c. A.D. 200, so the short-lived tanning industry may have existed after the resident family had moved out of the villa."

 

Cheers and good luck!