MINING OPERATIONS OF THE ROMANS. 31 



what is produced from the ore." (Leland, Itin., I. 144, 

 vi. 102. Camden, II. 722.) 



One of the raost important sites of Roman iron-works 

 appears to have been Ariconium, the modern Weston in 

 Herefordshire, adjoining the Forest of Dean. I have 

 already alluded to this Station as the probable residence of 

 L. Aruconius, who afterwards, as it appears, settled at 

 Lutudar, in the mining district of Derbyshire. "At a 

 place called Cinder Hill," observes Mr. Thomas Wright, 

 " we have only to turn up the surface to discover that it 

 consi^ts of an immense mass of iron scoriag. It is evident 

 that the Roman town of Ariconium possessed very exten- 

 sive forges and smelting furnaces, and that these cinders 

 were thrown out on this side of the town close to the 

 walls."* The discovery of mineral coal in the Roman se- 

 pulchre described by Mr. Octavius Morgan, and the proofs 

 of its abundant production in Northumberland,f may sug- 

 gest the inquiry, whether it was not employed in smelting 

 the iron-stone at Ariconium. 



Roman coins were found under the refuse of mines at 

 Luxborough, on the Brendon Hills, near Minehead. The 

 ore at this spot, as has been already observed, (p. 18,) is 

 Brown Hematite. 



I am informed on the authority of Dr. Thurnam, and of 

 Mr. Charles Moore, of Bath, that Mr. Cunnington has 

 found Roman pottery with scoriae of supposed ancient 

 iron-works at various places about Devizes. The ore is 

 that which occurs in the ferruginous portion of the green- 

 sand formation. The same kind of ore has been wrought 

 abundantly in modern times in the counties of Kent and 

 Sussex, and the iron produced from it by the ancient 

 Britons may be presumed to be that to which Julius 



* Wanderinys of a,i Anüguarg, p. 23, &.C. t See abovp, p. fi-8-21. 



vol. vur. 1858, part n. e 



