|
Red Hills - Tolleshunt D'Arcy |
 Red
Hill near Tolleshunt D'Arcy: Over three hundred Red Hills, the remains
of prehistoric and Roman salt making sites, are found along the Essex
coast. Before electrical refrigeration, salt played a crucial role in the
preservation of meat and fish and a very valuable commodity. In Essex, the
sea provided a great resource for salt and many of those who lived along
the coast would have, on a seasonal basis, be involved in extracting salt
from sea-water. The sun would evaporate sea-water trapped in open pans cut
into the water-tight clays. This concentrated brine was then boiled in
rough ceramic vessels until all the water was removed and only the salt
remained. The crudely-made vessels, known as briquetage, and are found in
large quantities at the sites, and, along with the burning process, result
in the red soil which makes of the mounds of debris. This site is now
situated in eroding salt-marsh outside the modern sea-wall, and inspection
on the ground shows that layers of broken briquetage survives above layers
of charcoal, the remains of ancient fires. (photo: D. Strachan;
copyright: Essex County Council). |
| Ref: Picture (Labeled and Enhanced) & Text from Aerial Archaeology (Photography) in Essex |
|
28 - 07 - 2002 |