Susan,

Michael Pearson is a good source, but his 1981 article in volume 16 of
Archaeology in Oceania on the "Simple Lime Burning Methods in 19th Century
New South Wales" has a more thorough discussion of pit/heap methods of
burning limestone for producing lime than his later work in Western
Australia.

I'm writing my Master's thesis on the lime manufacturing industry in Butte
County, CA during the 19th century, and would be happy to provide further
references on lime production technology, if you would like to contact me
via email off listserve.

Cheers, Karin

> Susan
>
>
>
> Mike Pearson has published good stuff on lime kilns in Australia thaty
> will
> be useful [some were probably built by Irish too]:
>
>
>
> Archaeological interpretation and ethnographic analogy: the lime industry
> in
> Western Australia
>
> Archaeology in Oceania 21 [1986]
>
>
>
> and
>
>
>
> The lime industry in Australia: an overview
>
> Australian Journal of Historical Archaeology 8 [1990]
>
>
>
>  Although lime tended to be burnt in round tapered kilns, a lot of early
> construction lime for mortar 1788-c.1850 and even later was produced from
> open burning of Aboriginal shell midden material, mixing fuel with dense
> shell midden / natural shell bed matrix.  An extensive industry based on
> this took place around the littoral fringe of Sydney [and elsewhere] but I
> don't know of any excavations of these sorts of kiln sites.
>
>
>
> Denis
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Susan Houghton" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 2:55 AM
> Subject: Limestone kilns, pit style
>
>
>> We have located limestone kilns, the second grouping found during the
>> phased project.  I am picking up the research, and from the beginning we
>> have had difficulty in finding information on pit style as opposed to
>> formally constructed furnaces for the production of lime.
>> No such formal kiln is known in the area.  We do have a bit of
>> interesting documentation, a ledger stating 'Cash to Irishmen for build
>> lime kiln'.
>> Our features are simply lenses of burned and unburned limestone mixed
>> with ash and charcoal flecks.  The lenses may have 2 distinct layers,
>> one composed of larger rock and the other of finer gravels.
>> I am wading through a great deal of information on the production of
>> lime, and am searching for any information on short-term pit kilns.
>> Thanks for your help,
>> Susan
>>
>>
>> Susan Houghton, RPA
>> Laboratory Supervisor
>> Cultural Resources
>> Burns & McDonnell
>> 9400 Ward Parkway
>> Kansas City, Missouri  64114
>> Tel: 816-333-9400 x2264
>> Fax: 816-822-3515
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>


Karin L. Goetter
Anthropological Studies Center (ASC)
1081 E. Cotati Ave., Bldg. 29
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
(707) 664-2381