The glass-melting crucibles of Derrière Sairoche (1699–1714 AD,Ct. Bern,Switzerland): a petrological approach

Forty-three sherds of crucible found in the pre-industrial (1699–1714 AD) forest glassworks of Derrière Sairoche (Ct. Bern, Switzerland) were studied in order to determine the nature of raw materials and the technological aspects of their production and use. The samples were analysed using optical microscopy, XRD, XRF, UV–VIS spectrometry and SEM/EDS.     

Preserved epiphytes as an archaeological resource in pre-industrial vernacular buildings

The vernacular building tradition is an established source of information about historic woodlands and woodland management in Britain. We build on this resource by recognizing the information content derived from the tree-dwelling epiphyte communities of lichens and mosses, which are preserved on the bark of historic wooden building materials. We report on a first analysis of preserved epiphytes identified from six regions across lowland England. Seventy-eight vernacular buildings were surveyed for the presence of bark and preserved epiphytes. We demonstrate three novel and important findings: the prevalence of bark, substantial preservation of epiphytes, and their application as an archaeological tool for the reconstruction of historic environments. Future analyses will build on epiphyte species composition and abundance data to examine changes in historic environments across lowland England.