Salt Production
Salt was very important to the Romans because it was used to preserve and cook food. It was also used in tanning and dyeing processes to make leather and fabric goods.
Salt was so important that soldiers in the Roman army were sometimes paid in salt. This is where the word ‘salary’ comes from.
How did the Romans make salt?
North Kent was a major salt-production area in Roman Britain, especially in the Late Iron Age and early Roman period. Coastal sea water was a major source of salt so sites along the Thames estuary made great use of salt extraction.
Most evidence archaeologists have found suggests that salt was usually made in open-pans in Roman Britain. Saltwater was heated in a pan over a fire. The water would evaporate leaving only the salt crystals behind. The salt was then dried and packed ready for transporting. Many sites in Kent linked to salt production seem to have been workshops. It's possible that most of their work was done seasonally in the summer. Most evidence we have of salt production are fragments of briquetage. This was the ceramic used to make evaporation vessels and the supports they sat on. Archaeologists have found briquetage at Spital Street Dartford Roadside Settlement which suggests that salt-working took place nearby.
Activity Idea
SCIENCE
Experiment with salt production yourself, just like the Romans. Mix a heaped tablespoon of table salt into 100ml of water to make a salt water solution. Make sure you have an adult to help you heat your solution. Put your solution into a saucepan and heat it on a hob. Watch your saltwater boil. The water will evaporate until only the salt is left behind.
How long did it take for the water to evaporate? What might this tell you about how long it took the Romans to gather salt using open pans and heat from the sun?