In ENGLAND?  How interesting.
Thank you.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kate and Silas" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 1:41 PM
Subject: Re: cow's blood in floors


> 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.
>