Dear Niels,
I think, it's just less resin, it will burn at all. Did you think about, if
it is necessary that it is burning "so well"? In my opinion perhaps inside a
narrow mine shaft people actually prefer a calmer light instead of
flickering pine or spruce lightning tapers, because - to precise the
Dürrnberg results* - most of them are made from Abies alba* over there,
although Picea abies should be the more frequent in the former Vegetation.
Another reason could be the good properties for splitting of silver fir.
Nicole
*short overview: N. Boenke, Organic resources: Food supply and raw
materials. In: Thomas Stöllner, The economy of Dürrnberg-bei-Hallein: An
Iron Age Salt-mining centre in the Austrian Alps. With contributions from H.
Aspöck...., The Antiquaries Journal, 83, 2003, 123-194.
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: The archaeobotany mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Im
Auftrag von Niels Bleicher
Gesendet: Montag, 23. Juli 2007 09:13
An: [log in to unmask]
Betreff: Re: TBA Hallstatt: Lightning tapers - Kienspäne
Dear Nicole,
this is very interesting that there is no pinus - it also explains what now
comes to my mind again: I can®t remember to have seen a lot of heartwood in
the samples I was shown...
But then Beas question arises again: I®ve read that these splinters work so
well because of the high amount of resin. But Abies doesn®t have awful
amounts of resin, does it? So has anybody an idea why it still works? Or
were they really treated with some kind of fuel?
Niels
> Dear Bea , Dear Niels
>
> We also can confirm your observation on salt preserved Material. Cheapest
> and best preservation for organic materials from salt mines is no
> conservation. At Dürrnberg/Hallein, Austria I examined some thousands of
> wooden objects and even small seeds and fruit remains from faeces, which
> stay well preserved only because of the high content of salt. Even after
> short a time of washing or watering the objects they still contain salt.
It
> needs a longer time in the rain/under the shower to remove it completely.
So
> a moderate humidity shouldn't be a problem.
> At the moment it is tried to store some timbers from a wet preservation
site
> in not used mine shafts of the modern salt mine to avert the decay of the
> wood. But of course there are no long term observations until know. And
for
> sure not everywhere a salt mine is available : )
>
> One small comment concerning the so called "Kienspäne". I was very
> surprised when I started the wood analysis on the Dürrnberg material
several
> years ago. In opposite to the etymological origin of the word Kienspäne
> which Niels already described (Kienspäne = lightning tapers from Pinus),
> none of the ancient lightning tapers had been made from Pinus. The Iron
age
> people used Abies alba and Picea abies/Larix decidua over there. Pinus is
> not very common in the local vegetation.
>
>
> Best wishes
> Nicole
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _____________________________________________________________
> Nicole Boenke M.A.
> Archäologische&Archäobotanische Untersuchungen
> Herawies 42
> A-6723 Blons
>
> 0043 (0)5553 21426
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: The archaeobotany mailing list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Im
> Auftrag von Beatrice Hopkinson
> Gesendet: Samstag, 21. Juli 2007 20:57
> An: [log in to unmask]
> Betreff: Re: TBA Hallstatt
>
> Niels,
>
> Thank you for refreshing my memory about 'pinus' wood. It does have
> a
> splintery look to it too. Of course I figured it was the salt that is
> preserving it
> but wanted an experts thoughts. I'm a little biased about salt as you
> may have
> guessed :)
>
> Yes I recall the rucksack and the hat! And a colleague of mine used
> the
> records at Hallstatt to dye and weave some fabric to duplicate remains of
> fabric
> found on the handle of a pick (?). It turned out to be a green and
> black tartan, a
> sample of which she gave me. I was somewhat startled to find someone
> else had
> done this - but the tartan is red! Do you know anything of that? The
> tourist aspect at Hallstatt has changed much since I was there in 1979!
>
> Bea
>
> >This is an effect of the salt. All organic remains from that mine are
> >perfectly preserved. I once examined a rucksack that was found there made
> >of leather. You could use it without being careful. I wouldn®t hesitate
to
> >build a house from the timber there. There is no need to protect the wood
> >>from water - the salt has prevented any decay so you can extract the
salt
> >and the item will still not change more than any modern piece of wood!
> >The wood is pinus. The german word "kiefer" comes from "kien" meaning
> >lighting-splinter and latin "ferre". It has a high amount of natural
> >resin. You don®t have to add extra-fuel. It was used for light until at
> >least early modern times.
> >I am not quite sure whether every pinus-wood works equally well - a case
> >for experimental work ...
> >Niels
> >
> >
> >> Just as a matter of interest - I was many years ago given a piece of
salt
>
> >> saturated
> >> wood from the Hallstatt mine. It was used to light the way for the
> >> miners. I looked
> >> at it about 2 years ago and it was unchanged - is it the salt, or
perhaps
>
> >> the fuel it was
> >> dipped into to light it that has preserved it? I can't smell any odor
or
>
> >> see signs of
> >> fuel - I am wondering if it was a special kind of wood they chose that
> >> will naturally burn and of course the salt that has prevented decay
(its
> >> just wrapped up in a paper towel) ?
> >> I'd have thought over the years it might have absorbed water from the
> >> atmosphere - though perhaps the paper towel prevented it!
> >>
> >> Bea
> >>
> >> >As to the wooden vat: There are many ways of conserving waterlogged
> wood.
> >> >Soaking it in Sugar, PEG or Melamin-resin or freeze-drying are just
the
> >> >best known. Every method has its own problems and advantages. Sugar
and
> >> >PEG leave the sample in constant danger of humidity, but it is at
least
> >> >theoretically reversible. Melamin-conservation as used in the
> >> >Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum in Mainz has great results, yields
a
> >> >strong and light sample that won®t change the color any further and is
> >> >tolerant of changing air-conditions etc. but it is irreversible. In
> >> >contrast to PEG it is invisible even under the microscope while PEG
> fills
> >> >the vessels. PEG-samples are also quite heavy which makes it difficult
> to
> >> >mount samples for restauration and presentation.
> >> >If waterlogged wood is just to be kept some years for later analysis
it
> is
> >> >best to use the same plastic-bag-method as for the soil-samples. A
> simple
> >> >basin can be used to improvise a vacuum in the bag. It is possible to
ad
>
> >> >some fungicide, but it appears to be unnecessary. The problem is:
> >> >Obviously the soil-chemistry and the species will also influence the
> >> >result. I have seen wood-samples of ash from a bog that were in bad
> >> >condition after 12 years and oak from a lake that were in great
> condition
> >> >after 25 years...
> >> >Hope this helps.
> >> >Good Luck
> >> >Niels
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> Greenwich Museum in England some years ago preserved a Roman wooden
> >> >> vat excavated in the 1980's. They soaked it in some liquid for
some
> >> >> months with the
> >> >> result was it changed its appearance and is now black. I would
have
>
> >> >> thought there was
> >> >> a better way to preserve it - but then I am not a conservation
expert.
>
> I
> >> >> feel it has so changed its appearance that over time it might be
> thought
> >> >> that it was how it looked originally and could be confusing.
> >> >>
> >> >> Beatrice Hopkinson
> >> >>
> >> >> >Dear colleagues,
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >I am writing with a question relating to the long-term storage of
> >> >> >waterlogged deposits. A colleague here in Ireland, Christina
> Fredengren,
> >> has
> >> >> >been excavating an important Late Mesolithic lakeside site (further
> >> >> >information available at www.discoveryprogramme.ie - see Lake
> Settlement
> >> >> >Project section). Many of the deposits at the site are waterlogged.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Christina took many soil samples during the excavation, and it now
> seems
> >> >> >that there are a number of samples that will not be examined in the
> near
> >> >> >future. A museum here in Ireland is interested in storing these
> >unexamined
> >> >> >samples, possibly for analysis at some time in future decades.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >I am looking for advice on current best practice for long-term
> storage
> of
> >> >> >waterlogged samples. Would it be better to store the soil samples
> >> >> >'untouched', or can we sieve them to reduce their mass? Any advice
on
>
> the
> >> >> >addition of water/alcohol/other materials to enable preservation of
> the
> >> >> >waterlogged remains would also be appreciated.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Best wishes,
> >> >> >
> >> >> >Meriel McClatchie.
> >> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >--
> >> >Niels Bleicher
> >> >Textorstr. 97
> >> >60596 Frankfurt
> >> >Tel.: 069 66124984
> >> >mobil: 0177-2349074
>
--
Niels Bleicher
Textorstr. 97
60596 Frankfurt
Tel.: 069 66124984
mobil: 0177-2349074
|