Matthew
At 11:29 PM 5/30/99 PDT, you wrote:
>All,
>
>I have been reading with interest the messages regarding the creation of
>charcoal during the pre-CE years through the 14th century - green oak and
>pine as being the primary (though certainly not exclusive) sources, it's use
>in carbon dating, etc.
>
>Does anyone know (or have a guess at) the approximate ratio of green wood to
>finished charcoal (i.e. in terms of mass - how many kilograms of wood to
>produce one kilogram of charcoal)? What about how much charcoal was
>required to keep a small smithy in business (i.e. what could be produced
>with a tonne of charcoal - in terms of horseshoes, blades, whatever)?
>
>I know that the question is rather vague, but I am curious as to how much of
>an impact a large (or even small) smithy had on the surrounding forest (and
>therefore the necessity of forest management). Are we talking a tonne of
>wood a month or a week...(obviously a scenario would have to be invented to
>put the question in perspective)?
>
>Any wild guesses, estimates, or even examples of (gasp!) well-defended
>evidence would be appreciated.
>
>I am trying to understand in as much detail as possible the individual steps
>involved in turning a piece of iron ore into a finished piece of
>metallurgical art in the days before blast furnaces (aren't we all!). Any
>pointers to good resources would also be much appreciated! Thanks!
>
I am in Paris, away from my library, at the moment, and so I cannot give you
a reference to a paper that I wrote some (many!) years ago. It was called
something like "Some operating parameters for Roman ironworks" and contained
some calculations based on information provided by a former UN colleague,
then working at TRADA, that may be useful for you. It was published in the
Bulletin (?) of the Institute of Archaeology (London).
Sorry to be so vague about this - not affectation, merely a sharp division
between two very different aspects of my work and interests, coupled with
advancing senility! Perhaps someone else on the list will be kind enough to
give you the reference.
Henry Cleere
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