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Date: | Wed, 7 Apr 2004 16:50:16 -0400 |
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Eleanor-
During our excavations of an 1820-1830's salt furnace we found burned earth
extending a meter to either side of the furnace. The normally brown silt
loam (10YR4/4) soils were burned to a red (2.5YR4/6)color. The trench for
the firebox was approximately 30-40 cm deep, and 24 meters long, with the
burned earth paralleling either side of the furnace. This feature was
located right on the edge of an eroding river bank, so I had our trackhoe
operator cut a profile cross-cutting the feature along its short axis. Much
to our surprise, the reddened soil continued to a depth of 4 meters below
the ground surface. After conducting more archival research we determined
that this furnace burned coal for fuel, and was in almost continuous
operation from 1821 to 1835, which evidently caused the extensive burning of
the surrounding soil.
Hope this helps,
Will
William D. Updike, RPA
Principal Investigator
Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc.
3556 Teays Valley Road, Suite #3
Hurricane, West Virginia 25526
Voice: 304.562.7233
FAX: 304.562.7235
email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Corporate Web Site: www.crai-ky.com <http://www.crai-ky.com>
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