The Industrial Archaeology presentation given during week 6 of the Urban Archaeology Lifelong Learning course at the University of Southampton

1. Industrial Archaeology
& Architecture
08 November 2012
Week 6

2. Today
What is Industrial Archaeology and
how can I do it?
• Defining Industrial Archaeology
• Trade and Industry in the Archaeological
Record
• Techniques for Industrial Archaeology

3. Classical Definition
• Donald Dudley & Michael Ricks 1955 in The Amateur Historian
the 18th and 19th Century, the monuments of the industrial
revolution.
• “The discovery, recording and study of the physical remains of
yesterday’s industries and communications.” Baker (1963)
Industrial Archaeology: An Introduction

4. Trade and Industry
• A very old story indeed, so what is industrial
archaeology?
• In post industrial landscapes it is easy to
understand the focus on the modern age but
in cities like Southampton this makes less
sense.

5. Techniques for Industrial Archaeology
• Transience is what makes industrial
archaeology unique.
• It relies upon understandings of processes
which are easily lost.
• Taff Merthyr Colliery
• Consequently we require two sets of
techniques
• Documentation and Preservation

6. 1. Documentation
• Record what remains and try to interpret it
• Commonly known as ‘archaeology’!

7. Recording a Roman Port Complex
• Port of Imperial Rome between the mid-
1st century AD and the 6thcentury AD
• established by Claudius in the mid-1st century
AD, enlarged by Trajan, and subsequently
modified during the 3rd and 4thcenturies AD.
• Civil Architecture on an Astonishing Scale

11. Latrines
Images copyright of Portus Project

12. Questions Remain
• Where are the people?
• What were these buildings used for?
• Mysterious remains hint at a medival life
about which we know very little…

13. 2. Preservation
• Prevent understandings from being lost
• Documents, instruction manuals, recorded
material, oral histories.

14. How can I do Industrial Archaeology?
Collect material!
Think about the methods we have already
covered
• Participation:
Association of Industrial Archaeology
English Heritage – Industrial Heritage at Risk
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/heritage-at-risk/industrial-heritage-at-risk/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/industrialheritageatrisk/

15. Oral History
• The perfect industrial method.
• The original research technique.
• Voices not usually heard.

16. Oral History
Oral History Society http://www.ohs.org.uk
What do you want to know?
Who will you talk to?
Which questions should you ask?