Leon -- During the 18.th century flint was used as a tempering material in
porcellain production in Germany and I hear it is still used in England
today. Evidently quarz was used when flint was not available.

Slotta, R.
1980
Feuersteine zur Herstellung von Porzellan.
In: G. Weisgerber, R. Slotta u. J. Weiner (Bearb.),  5000 Jahre
Feuersteinbergbau - Die Suche nach dem Stahl der Steinzeit. Veröff.
Deutsch. Bergbaumus. Bochum 22 (Bochum 1980) 362-363.

regards

>----- Original Message -----
>From: Cranmer, Leon <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2000 8:11 AM
>Subject: Re: quartz question
>
>
>> Greetings list members!
>>
>>         I have a mystery I'm hoping someone may be able to help me with.
>> I'm working on a site we dug last summer on a tidal cove in Georgetown,in
>> mid-coast Maine.  The site is a shallow 3 x 3 m cellar hole on a small
>> triangle of land.  By the mid-19th c. on this lot was a wharf and
>> storehouse, blacksmith shop, and one photo  shows a "work buildings"
>behind
>> the whare and storehouse.  The cellar apparently belonged to one of these
>> work buildings.  Across the road the same person owned general store with
>> post office and slaughter house and across the cove was a shipyard.  Just
>> above, on, and in the cellar floor  we found over 100 pieces of quartz.
>> Most is shatter, but some have been flaked and a few pieces could be
>> considered cores.  The quartz is mostly colorless, but some is crystal and
>> some smokey.  It is not prehistoric nor did it come in with the fill.  The
>> only  possible  lead I have is that feldspar was mined in the area in the
>> 3rd quarter 19th c.  It was shiped out (on ships) to a pottery in Trenton,
>> NJ.  But even if the quartz was related to this industry, why would it be
>in
>> this cellar.  My question is, does anyone know of a use for quartz in the
>> second half of the 19th c.?  Any suggestions here would be appriciated!
>> Thanks for your time!
>>
>> Regard, Lee Cranmer
>> Maine Historic Preservation Commission
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>
(Dr. Detlef Gronenborn)
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