BATH, ENGLAND—The remains of a factory that produced clay pipes between 1780 and 1860 have been uncovered at the site of a online casino, hotel, and restaurant complex in Bath. “It’s very rare to find a clay pipe kiln in this condition. Most were destroyed or demolished when they went out of business,” archaeologist Simon Sworn of Cotswold Archaeology told The Bath Chronicle. His team knew from historic maps of the area that a playground had been built over the factory, but they did not expect it to be so well preserved. “It’s very exciting to look at some of the history of Bath that is not Roman. It’s an industry that not a great deal is known about,” he added. The two five-and-a-half foot kilns will be preserved, and archaeologists will research the initials inscribed on the dozens of tobacco pipes that have been recovered to try to identify the factory workers. To read more about historical archaeology in England, go to "Haunt of the Resurrection Men."
