Interestingly enough, M. W. Barley in his classic "The English Farmhouse and Cottage" ( 1961) says "It must long ago been discovered that clay mixed with oxblood and ashes made a hard floor which might even be polished" (page 82). So the blood and clay story has precedents in the UK.

Silas Hurry
HSMC

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Susan Walter <[log in to unmask]> 

> June 28, 2008 
> 
> Hello All, 
> Working in San Diego Old Town, we are bedeviled by trying to tease out fact from 
> oral traditions... 
> 
> A current one we are dealing with regards the claim that cow's blood was a 
> component of packed earthen floors. 
> 
> Long time residents of Baja that we know deny this as a fact. Their packed 
> earthen floors are solidified simply with water. Other historians we have 
> questioned have not found this blood addition was done. 
> 
> So, 
> 1. Has anyone in the Histarch community heard of this? 
> 2. Is there documentation of it? 
> 3. Where and who documented it? 
> 
> Many thanks, 
> S. Walter 
> 
> PS: Then, when you are finished with bloody floors, there is the story that 
> roof tiles were shaped over maidens thighs... And we can follow up with 
> documenting the number of girl's petticoats that were torn up to make American 
> flags... And, oh Lord save us from Ramona.