Mattnic's Photos

I've just moved to Birmingham and more than any other city centre I have been to it seems to be constantly building atop itself. As I stand on the pavement below me lie train tracks, above a shopping centre and I'm really not sure where the surface starts.

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A friend finds some genuine treasure. The expert may have said it was costume jewelry, but I like to think its from Queen Elizabeth 1sts Sunday afternoon tea time crown :) We were down on the beach as part of the Fun on the Foreshore day, itself part of National Archaeology Week. For my favourite picture of the day click here.

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This animal bone was excavated by someone, then left abandoned propped up in its hole waiting for the incoming tide to bury it again for the next generation. Part of the Fun on the Foreshore day, itself part of National Archaeology Week.

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Today (26/07/08) was a rare chance to wander on the foreshore of the Thames in front of the Tower of London. A fake beach, constructed in the 18th century out of dumped rubbish (bricks, pottery, clay pipes, slag, bits of metal etc) to enable boats to be pulled ashore, this area is normally closed to the public. As part of National Archaeology Week it is opened up with a host of archaeologists to tell you about what you find...and you get to take the material home (assuming it isn't a Roman brooch or a medieval crown that is!). Click on 'All Sizes' to see, well, all sizes.

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What are the chances of that? View large to make sense

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...photo of slag for a bit, I promise. A side on view of one of the full antimony smelting slag blocks. They make rather pretty garden walls.

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The top of a slag block utilised as building material in Cornwall.

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Click here for large size. Well I've not posted any photos here for ages as I have been busy at work on my dissertation, for which I am studying post medieval antimony smelting in Cornwall. This is a scan of a cross section of one of the slag blocks. From this I cut small bits (no larger than a couple of cm), mount in a resin block and then analyse in a scanning electron microscope to determine the composition and therefore better understand the technical choices made by the smelters in the past.

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A gorgeous evening sky in North Nottinghamshire, I upped the blacks and contrast to try and emphasise the cloud formation and create a gloomy and dense atmosphere. Listening to the new Portishead album may whilst editing may have influenced my decisions here! Click here for large size.

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The loss of a letter leads to an intriguingly named restaurant in Liverpool. Click here for large size.

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Crucibles excavated by Ironbridge Archaeology. Click here for large size.

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A close up on the TV...Question is what film was I bored stupid enough to take phoos of instead of watching?

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