Dear Niels,
I have seen many pieces of vitrified charcoal, and
although the surface is glassy and details are
"blurred", at least the vessels and parenchyma (axial
and radial) still recognisable in transverse and
longitudinal view. Thus Stefanie's interpretation that
the pieces mighzt be archaeozoological remains seems
very likely to me.
Regards,
Barbara
--- Niels Bleicher <[log in to unmask]> schrieb:
> Dear all,
>
> I read descriptions of so-called vitrified charcoal
> that it is due to very high temperatures and takes
> up a glassy surface.
> In the charcoal-assembly from a funeral pile I have
> recently analysed there were fragments that were
> macroscopically clearly wood and also in the radial
> section one could easily make out the rays, although
> there was quite a lack of details.
> In cross section I was surprised to find nothing but
> a clear homogenous plane surface. There were no
> discernible structures at all. No vessels, cells or
> rays. Sometimes there was a slight disturbance in
> the surface faintly resembling wide rays or a large
> vessel (or small crack?). These objects were also
> very hard and heavy compared to all the rest of the
> charcoal that consisted mostly of thin flake-like
> pieces of Abies.
> Are these fragments vitrified charcoal or are we
> talking about different things here? And if it´s not
> - who has an idea which processes might have
> produced this?
>
> Yours
> Niels
>
> --
> Niels Bleicher
> Textorstr. 97
> 60596 Frankfurt
> Tel.: 069 66124984
> mobil: 0177-2349074
>
Dr. Barbara Eichhorn
Institut für Archäologische Wissenschaften
Archäologie und Archäobotanik Afrikas
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Campus Westend
Grüneburgplatz 1
D-60323 Frankfurt
Tel.: 0049-69-798-32089
private:
Barbara Eichhorn
Friesacher Str. 8
D-65187 Wiesbaden
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