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The workshops
Workshops (fabricae) were an important part of every Roman fort. The army imported some equipment and provisions but they also needed to be as self-sufficient as possible. There were blacksmiths and leather-workers in the fort at Castleford. The archaeologists found workshops in both of the Castleford forts.
The workshop building
One building was found next to a large dump of craft-related finds so it has been identified as a workshop. This building was unusual because waterlogged soil conditions had preserved its wattle walls.
What was made and mended in the workshops?
- Leather – The archaeologists found leather-working tools, leather shoes, pieces of a tent, shield covers and many scrap pieces of leather.
- Cloth - Needles, weaving combs and pieces of fabric
- Wood and bone - Scrap pieces of wood and bone
- Metal – The archaeologists found evidence for working in copper and silver.
Enamelled flasks made at Castleford
Numerous flask moulds were found in a clay-lined pit next to the granaries. The moulds include patterns for decoration. The Castleford moulds are extremely important because no evidence has been found on any other Roman site for the manufacture of these flasks. Examples of enamelled flasks like those made at Castleford have been found on sites in Croatia and Holland.
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