Have a look at this:
http://www.eh-resources.org/timeline/timeline_lia.html
Alison
On 8 April 2011 13:38, Helen Good <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> You haven't taken into account the difference in climate between now and
> then. Regular ice fairs on the Thames could not have been held without
> serious winters. Even last winter we didn't get near that. I also
> remember, I think from Washington Irving (not a reliable source), that snow
> from the mountain tops was brought by relays of mules or donkeys to the
> Alhambra all through the summer. That would have been before 1492, so
> before it got cold. Much of southern Europe is close enough to a peak
> covered in snow in winter for a luxury trade in snow or ice.
> Helen Good
> BALH
>
>
> On 7 Apr 2011, at 12:41, Nick Hudd wrote:
>
> Does anyone know (or has a source for) information about means of supply of
> ice. There seems to be a view that local ponds etc near an ice-house were a
> source. This strikes me as very dubious as ice in southern England would be
> very close to freezing point at the coldest, melting in no time if
> underground. I always thought that it was imported by fast insulated ship
> from places where it could be obtained at very low temperatures (and
> probably several shipments would be needed to get the temperature of the
> ice-house well down). Does anyone know a technical/commercial history source
> with a detailed account please, perhaps even including the wider question of
> supply to Mediterranean sites?
>
> Nick Hudd
>
|