British Isles Iron Production during the Roman Occupation Essay

British Isles Iron Production during the Roman Occupation - Essay Example The essay "British Isles Iron Production during the Roman Occupation" talks about the evidence concerning the chain of operation in iron production in the British Isles during the Roman occupation. The British Isles were clearly a vital part of the Wealden iron industry having been in operation from pre-historic periods. Considering that its geology that was made up of sandstone Ashdon Beds and clay mad it easier for the extraction of iron. The place was also favorable in that there was enough wood that would be used during the smelting process. Furthermore, the soft sandstones could be carved to form valleys and lakes that would eventually provide water for powering the forges and furnaces. The process of identifying the iron mines depended on the availability of wood used for smelting fuel which was abundant in the British Isles. This was because iron ores were found everywhere in the country and iron quite inexpensive. Britain emerged to be a right place for getting iron which was required for making war machines used by the Romans. The Romans constructed most f the underground mines found in Britain. Iron was mined in open pits as well as underground fields with slaves bearing the weights of the work. After extracting the ore from the mine it was the crushed and washed according to Burnham. Once the iron ore had been mined from the open pits, they had to be cleaned before undergoing further processing. The iron oxide was then left after washing and later was smelted through the bloomery method.