salt-msg – 1/12/08
Medieval salt production and use.
NOTE: See also the files: salt-comm-art, spices-msg, herbs-msg, commerce-msg, travel-msg, stockfish-msg, p-spice-trade-msg, mining-msg.
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Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: caradoc at neta.com (John Groseclose)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt--??
Date: Sat, 09 Nov 1996 23:53:49 -0700
HPGV80D at prodigy.com (Patricia Hefner) wrote:
> Does anybody have any information on salt in period? The only thing I
> know about it was that is was bloody expensive and it is cognate with our
> word "salary". Where was it made, and how? I may attempt a paper with
> this topic if I can find the damn sources. Yours in Service, Isabelle de
> Foix, Shire of Misty Mere, Meridies
Somewhere around here I've got documentation for salt mines working in
Poland in period. Most coastal areas would probably have used the method
of filling shallow pools or bowls with sea water, then letting it dry.
From: "Dana J. Tweedy" <tweedyd at emh1.pa.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt--??
Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 13:09:51 -0800
In the book "Food in History" by Reany Tannhill(sp?), there is some
information on salt and how it was produced in period, Mostly either
mining or by salt pan evaporation. The salt pans produced an inferior
product, full of waste materials, but it was much cheaper than the salt
from the salt mines.
Karl Rasmussen of Tvede
From: david.razler at postoffice.worldnet.att.net (David M. Razler)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt--??
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 00:28:57 GMT
"Dana J. Tweedy" <tweedyd at emh1.pa.net> wrote:
| In the book "Food in History" by Reany Tannhill(sp?), there is some
| information on salt and how it was produced in period, Mostly either
| mining or by salt pan evaporation. The salt pans produced an inferior
| product, full of waste materials, but it was much cheaper than the salt
| from the salt mines.
|
| Karl Rasmussen of Tvede
Questionable:
"World's Finest Salt"
'We first became aware of Fleur de Sel when Food Arts, our favorite
professional food magazine, touted it as the "caviar of salt." From Brittany,
on the coast of France, Fleur de Sel is harvested in minute quantities by
hand, during the months of July and August (the same 300 families have been
harvesting this salt for centuries.) It's gathered from the surface of the sea
where it forms when the sun shines, the wind's from the east, and the humidity
is low. Sometimes only a few hundred pounds a year are harvested. At other
times, several tons are harvested. And what's it like? Well, it has an
unusual, moist (yet not clumpy) texture, and a fine pure flavor. French chefs
recommend using it as a condiment, not an ingredient; a bit of pain de
campagne, spread with butter and gilded with Fleur de Sel, is the ultimate
appetizer. We offer it in 3-oz. jars, available only while the supplies last
(as we write this time the 1996 harvest isn't yet complete, so we're not sure
of quantities). .... $12.95
<The Baker's Catalog/King Arthur Flour, winter '96-7 p 15>
The same page offers kosher salt <large-flake non-iodized plain salt> at
$1.25/lb, medium-flake sea salt "... evaporated from seawater; it's higher
mineral content gives it a bit of added nutrition, as well as a distinctive
taste," 1 lb/$2.65. Kosher salt, or more properly kashering salt, used for
preparing kosher meat, sells for only a few cents more than plain old iodized
or non-iodized mined salt.
Filtering seawater before allowing it to dry and later washing of the salt
(dissolving and re-dehydrating) should produce a nice, clean product.
dmr
David M. Razler
david.razler at worldnet.att.net
From: jeffs at bu.edu (Jeff Suzuki)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt--??
Date: 11 Nov 1996 18:02:09 GMT
Organization: Boston University
Patricia Hefner (HPGV80D at prodigy.com) wrote:
: Does anybody have any information on salt in period? The only thing I
: know about it was that is was bloody expensive and it is cognate with our
: word "salary". Where was it made, and how?
Then (as now) your two major sources would be saltwater brines
(usually from the seacoast) and mines. As a rule of thumb, Germanic
"Sal" towns (Salzburg is the most obvious) had salt mines in the
vicinity. Smithsonian magazine a few months ago had an article on the
salt mines of some town in Czechoslovakia where they had crafted an
entire underground city (including a cathedral -- !). Let me see if I
can dig up the references.
Jeffs/William
From: "Dana J. Tweedy" <tweedyd at emh1.pa.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt--??
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 21:08:43 -0800
David M. Razler wrote:
>
> campagne, spread with butter and gilded with Fleur de Sel, is the ultimate
> appetizer. We offer it in 3-oz. jars, available only while the supplies last
> (as we write this time the 1996 harvest isn't yet complete, so we're not sure
> of quantities). .... $12.95
>
> <The Baker's Catalog/King Arthur Flour, winter '96-7 p 15>
>
> The same page offers kosher salt <large-flake non-iodized plain salt> at
> $1.25/lb, medium-flake sea salt "... evaporated from seawater; it's higher
> mineral content gives it a bit of added nutrition, as well as a distinctive
> taste," 1 lb/$2.65. Kosher salt, or more properly kashering salt, used for
> preparing kosher meat, sells for only a few cents more than plain old iodized
> or non-iodized mined salt.
It just goes to show that if you call something "gourmet" and slap a
high price tag on it, some sucker will buy it. Seriously though,
although it is possible to get a superior salt from seawater evaporation,
in practice sea salt is not as good for preservation. According to
Tannahill, sea salt has a high magnesium and calcium content, which has
"...such a deleterious effect on preservation processes". (quoted from
"Food in History"). The saltpans of the Bay of Bourgneuf produced a salt
that was often polluted with sand, seaweed, and other debris. It's only
advantage is that was much cheaper. Food preserved with this salt,
(again according to Tannahill,) would often spoil because it would not
penetrate into the food quickly enough.
Salt could also be obtained from salt springs, by evaporation, but
it was about twice as expensive as "Bay Salt". Salt from mines was
probably the best quality, but the most expensive.
Karl Rasmussen of Tvede
From: Deloris Booker <dbooker at freenet.calgary.ab.ca>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt--??
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 14:15:58 -0700
Organization: Calgary Free-Net
On 15 Nov 1996, Patricia Hefner wrote:
> I heard something about that "salt cathedral" in the Czech lands myself
> awhile back, but I can't remember where. I'll look for the book, but I
> just may go to the friendly local Netscape browser and see what they have
> to say about salt! ---Isabelle
re: the salt cathedral. The National Geographic for Dec. (the one that
arrived last night anyway) has 3 pictures taken in the "salt chapel" in
one of the News sections of the magazine ( ie not a main article).
Apparently, warm moist air that is pumped into the mine for the continued
good health of current miners is damaging the salt carvings, so a project
is underway to install Dehumidifying equipment in the relevant and
afflicted sections of the mine.
Ya learn something new everyday, don't ya?
Aldreda of the Lakes (D. Booker Blue Castle Books, Calgary AB )
From: medievalbk at aol.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt--??
Date: 24 Nov 1996 05:42:50 GMT
There is a multiple page article on SALT in the DICTIONARY OF THE MIDDLE
AGES. Topic in the index: trade, antiquity, bay salt, duties, Eastern
Europe, ecconomic, Germany, Hansa, monastic control, Polish mining, and
even salted Herring.
Vilyehm the Merchant
G. F. Armoury Books
medievalbk at aol.com
From: StCurrie at ix.netcom.com (Steven Currie)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 01:14:16 GMT
You may want to do some research on a salt mine in Poland. There was
an article in one of the Smithsonian magazines within the last year or
two. This is what I remember. There is a very large salt mine in
Poland that was mined from either the 1100's or 1300's. A "grant of
production" was given from the King of Poland to the town. He
received somewhere around 33% of the revenues to his treasury. As I
remember, it is still being mined for salt.
Lord Etienne of Burgundy
Barony of Calafia
Kingdom of Caid
(Steven Currie)
From: dwbutler at mtu.edu (Daniel W. Butler-Ehle)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period salt
Date: 10 Dec 1996 19:15:40 -0500
Organization: Michigan Technological University
Steven Currie (StCurrie at ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: You may want to do some research on a salt mine in Poland. There was
: an article in one of the Smithsonian magazines within the last year or
: two. This is what I remember. There is a very large salt mine in
: Poland that was mined from either the 1100's or 1300's. A "grant of
: production" was given from the King of Poland to the town. He
: received somewhere around 33% of the revenues to his treasury. As I
: remember, it is still being mined for salt.
This month's "National Geographic".
From: jfideli at newshost.li.net (Fideli)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: period salt
Date: 27 Dec 1996 21:27:46 GMT
Organization: LI Net (Long Island Network)
Greetings any and all who were interested in this topic..
It was posted to me to check into the salt mines of poland. Well to show
my begining research. I could not find it in the national geographic..
but this may be an oversight on the comp list....I did however find a
large spread in Lapidary Journal feb95 and in Smithsonian march 94 on the
Wieliczka salt mine.
I have to say quickly and before deep reasearch. that I still
belive that the inpact of salt mining was not great until the 17cent. I
am now looking into the ecomonic and political factors that may have
played a part in this. It is a fact that getting salt from the sea is
easier that from a mine with all its hasards.
It is an intersting side note that the area of this mine (just
outside of krakow) was always in poland, even with the shifting borders of
our period.
I will keep the list informed of any updates...however my article
(haveing been rewritten , since Caraidoc found an error on my part) is a
very well documented look at salt in period. Again I offer to any who wish
to see it. I might send it to TI, (after researching the mines of poland,
italy, germany, france and britan) after finishing my reasearch.
Lord Xaviar the Eccentric
Man of a Thousand Persona,..Etc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gules, on a chevron between in chevron a cleaver and a cleaver
reversed and in base a satyr Rampant Or, six cauldrons sable!
From: dietmarrvs at aol.com (DietmarRvS)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: period salt
Date: 10 Jan 1997 02:44:36 GMT
>I have to say quickly and before deep reasearch. that I still belive that the
>inpact of salt mining was not great until the 17cent. I am now looking into
>the ecomonic and political factors that may have played a part in this. It is a
>fact that getting salt from the sea is easier that from a mine with all its
>hazards.
I think you may be mistaken as to how easy it is to get salt seawater .
Seawater is only about 3 percent salt on average. In order to get salt
from the sea, you need large tracts of flat land close to the sea
(preferrably in the intertidal zone) and an elaborate system of canals to
flood the land. On top of that, you also need a climate that is sunny and
warm enough to evaporate off the water at an appreciable rate. Most of
Europe doesn't have the climate for it.
As for salt mining, there are many mines still being worked today that
were known in antiquity. My Encyclopaedia Britannica says:
"The rocks of Permian age contain some of the largest rock-salt deposits
in the world. The most important are the Zechstein deposits of Germany,
long exploited not only for their common salt but for their potassium
content. The salt deposits of the sub-Carpathian region extending from
Poland through Hungary and Rumania may be of this age. In the Donetz
basin and the Volga region of European U.S.S.R. are extremely important
deposits of Permian rock salt...."
"The Triassic of England contains important rock-salt deposits which have
been worked for many years. In the Tyrol the Triassic strata also contain
important salt deposits...."
"Another type of rock-salt deposit which is economically important is the
salt dome....Similar domes in the sub-Carpathian region of Europe have
been worked since ancient times. The north German plain has many domes,
extensively worked, which are thought to have originated below 6,000
feet."
One of the most historically important salt mines in Europe is the town of
Halle (modern Swabische-Halle) in Germany. It was a salt center of
importance to the Germanic tribes before Charlemagnes son Charles erected
a fort there in 806. The salt works is mentioned in a charter by Otto I,
conveying the place to the Diocese of Magdeburg in 968. The family of
Frederick Barbarossa gained prominence because of their ancestral control
of salt mines in this region and throughout Swabia.
Another source to check out is the "De Re Mettalica" by Georgius Agricola.
First published in 1556, it is now available in paperback from Dover (I
paid $17.95) ISBN 0-486-60006-8 This was the first book on mining to be
based on field research and observation and contains numerous detailed
technical drawings illustrating the various specialized techniques of
mining. There are about ten pages that deal with salt, both drying it
from seawater and mining it from deposits. It also discusses the various
minerals that can be extracted and their uses for metallurgy and alchemy.
There are also historical references to the work of Pliny. This book
would be a great source for your research.
Hope you get some help from this.
Dietmar
From: jfideli at newshost.li.net (Fideli)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Period Salt again
Date: 9 Jan 1997 05:20:26 GMT
Organization: LI Net (Long Island Network)
Greetngs to those who asked about this.
I went back over my research to see why I left out salt mines...
It was for many reasons the main one being that they did not have any
major influence on the salt trade. They were harder to get at, many were
not mines in period but were brines, because of the flooding. They also
did not have access to the larger deposits of rock salt. If you wish more
information Email me at <jfideli at suffolk.lib.ny.us>
Lord Xaviar the Eccentric
Man of a Thousand Persona,..Etc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gules, on a chevron between in chevron a cleaver and a cleaver
reversed and in base a satyr Rampant Or, six cauldrons sable!
From: jfideli at newshost.li.net (Fideli)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: period salt
Date: 10 Jan 1997 21:20:54 GMT
Organization: LI Net (Long Island Network)
I dont mean to appear rude but MY intial comments were correct, Sea water
or brine extraction was the major source of salt throughout our period,
many of the mines that were "used from antiquity" were flooded during the
middle ages and were used as brines . thus the the method of boiling off
the salt was in use at these sites as well as by the shore.
One of my main books on this is
Multhauf, Robert P.; Neptunes's Gift. The Johns Hopkins Univ.
Press. London. 1978. Isbn 0-8018-1955-5
Yes, Seawater is 3.5 percent solution of salts of which 2.5 percent is
sodium chloride. Halle was a salt brine nearly satureated with salt 25.5
percent. But most brines were weaker than seawater and owed their
advantage to the cheapness of fuel and their proximity to the intended
market.
The African Salt deposits were not discoverd by the Medieval Europeans.
Most of the true mines in Europe during our time period were either
flooded or not large in their percentage of salt to extraneous rock, some
were even believed to have been worked out, that is until mining got better.
I have De re Metallica, I am rather anal about research.
Xaviar
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 06:05:27 -0500 (CDT)
From: alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise Fleming )
Subject: SC - Salt and Foam
Stefan, I believe, commented about cooking the fish that salt and water
(being boiled together) don't cause foam. Actually, in period they
probably did. The salt had a number of impurities in it and would need
to be skimmed off. Ditto for sugar! That still wouldn't negate how he
decided to cook the fish but I thought I'd toss in my two cents before
I go spend them at Pennsic tomorrow morning.
Alys Katharine
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 1997 10:53:27 -0400
From: Aine of Wyvernwood <sybella at gte.net>
Subject: Re: SC - period suerkraut?
ANN1106 at aol.com wrote:
> I would like to hear more, when you do your research. What we think is just
> common sense (a good housewife preserving her cabbage) is not always the
> case! First of all, the brining process needs salt - which I don't believe
> was very available to all classes. It was, at one time so precious, that the
> Romans gave their soldiers a "salt allowance" (hence the word "salary).
> The Polish also store shredded cabbage in barrels of salted water throughout
> the winter.
> Audrey (ann1106 at aol.com)
my lady, many years ago, I read an article in Scientific American, in regards to
the availability of salt during the late roman early middle ages period.
There was at thriving salt market in the Baltic region.
Huge sea salt beds in northern germany and in the normandy, belguim region as
well. Salt was readily available, for a price.
btw, just as we call the english Limies for thier partaking of Limes in the
ships.
The Germans became known as Krauts for the exact same reason.
aine
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 15:25:08 -0400
From: Aine of Wyvernwood <sybella at gte.net>
Subject: Re: SC - salt mines
they also had a thriving industry making salt from sea water. I distincly
remember reading an article in Scientific American years ago about that.
Seems that about the time of the first major ''barbarian'' invasions south to
Rome, there had been a global warming. The oceans had risen a few feet and
flooded the salt beds on the norther German coast, The barbarian tribes moved
south in search of salt, and ended up sacking Rome.
aine
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 15:11:19 -0400
From: "Marilyn Traber" <margali at 99main.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Timeline of Food
The earliest
known salt mine is IIRC the Halstatd mine in Gernamy somewhere. The only
reason this springs readily to mind is my interest in early Celtic history,
and La Tene [ a lake settlement] and a graveyard and garbage midden in the
Hallstadt mine are the earliest groups to use the decorative motives
commonly ascribed to Celts. If memory also serves me, there were findings of
the breceltic Beaker culture also in the aea, so that would end up dating
settlement to abour 4000 BC or so. With the discovery of various trade goods
from the Hallstadt region on the southern side of the Alps, I dont have any
problem in any form of salt trade well into periods predating classical
medeterranean culture.
margali
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 15:13:58 -0500
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - Timeline of Food
Hallstatt is in the Salzkammergut near Salzburg, Austria. Seems to me, the
Celtic archeology of the area dates from about 1000 BC, making it one of the
oldest sites found. The salt was being mined at that time.
You can reach Munich by following the Inn out of the Salzkammergut and then
crossing the to the Danube. However, why would Munich become the center of
the salt trade in 1158, when it is obvious the trade has been in existence
for 2000 years?
Hah, quick ref answer, Munich was founded in 1158. It became the de facto