You wrote:
 
>
>I'm passing this query along for Paul Williams, President of the Nova
>Scotia Archaeology society:
>
>        We have been carrying out an excavation just outside of
Halifax,
>Nova Scotia, on an English Barracks constructed in 1795 (for two
>companies of the Regiment of Foot, Royal Fusiliers). The barracks
>were later (c.1800) converted into an inn which remained in operation
>until it burned down in 1833.
>
>        Among the usual artifacts one would expect from a site of this
date,
>we found a large number of 'cast-iron' nails - 463 to be exact. these
>nails are pretty well uniform in size (i.e. 27mm in length) and were
>found in association with a plaster and mortar layer.
>
>        To date we have found only a few references to 'cast-iron'
nails
>being found during excavation. These sites all appear to be in the
>Maritimes and n.e. U.S. Moreover, excavations have only yielded a few
>example from each site.
>
>        Has anyone out there come across these little devils? If so,
any
>information and/or references would be greatly appreciated. Other
>info on the site is available for anyone who is intereste.
>
>                Paul Williams
>                President, Nova Scotia Archaeology Society
>
>
 
Paul, when you say "cast" nails, I assume you mean that ore was
reduced in a blast furnace to a molten state, then poured out, rolled
and cut into nails (in a rolling and slitting mill)?  Or was the iron
actually poured into nail *casts* (which would be the first I had heard
of such).  At a site along the Connecticut River, we found a
mill/shipyard site were we found a large number of early slit nails,
which was intriguing as there was a *bloomery* in town, and thus, would
have expected to mainly find *wrought* nails. I would be interested in
hearing more (and any results that you find...)
 
Cheers,
 
MB Williams
Wesleyan