Find Spot record MHG31670 - Iron slag - Ascoile

Find - Iron slag.
Two small fragments of iron slag discovered in the N sidewall of the longhouse remains of Feature 022 (above). One piece measures 4cm x 1cm x 1cm, is cylindrical in form with a rounded lower end and a fractured upper end, resembling the lower part of a stalactite. It is, in fact, a solidified 'dribble' of formerly molten metal, with a smooth, shiny black outer surface created by rapid cooling on contact with air. The other piece is a less dense, amorphous 2cm diameter, sub-rounded lump, with a coarse texture all over, indicating that it may be the more slowly-cooled interior fragment of a larger piece. <1>