AS-Salt-Extn-art - 9/26/09 ਀ഊ"Common Salt Extraction in Anglo-Saxon England" by Melanie Wilson. ਀ഊNOTE: See also the files: salt-msg, salt-comm-art, mining-msg, med-ships-art, Lrds-Salt-Exp-art, pickled-meats-msg, stockfish-msg. ਀ഊ************************************************************************ ਀一伀吀䤀䌀䔀 ⴀഊ ਀吀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀 椀猀 愀 挀漀氀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 瘀愀爀椀漀甀猀 洀攀猀猀愀最攀猀 栀愀瘀椀渀最 愀 挀漀洀洀漀渀 琀栀攀洀攀 琀栀愀琀 䤀 栀愀瘀攀 挀漀氀氀攀挀琀攀搀 昀爀漀洀 洀礀 爀攀愀搀椀渀最 漀昀 琀栀攀 瘀愀爀椀漀甀猀 挀漀洀瀀甀琀攀爀 渀攀琀眀漀爀欀猀⸀ 匀漀洀攀 洀攀猀猀愀最攀猀 搀愀琀攀 戀愀挀欀 琀漀 ㄀㤀㠀㤀Ⰰ 猀漀洀攀 洀愀礀 戀攀 愀猀 爀攀挀攀渀琀 愀猀 礀攀猀琀攀爀搀愀礀⸀ഊ ਀吀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀 椀猀 瀀愀爀琀 漀昀 愀 挀漀氀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 昀椀氀攀猀 挀愀氀氀攀搀 匀琀攀昀愀渀✀猀 䘀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀ 吀栀攀猀攀 昀椀氀攀猀 愀爀攀 愀瘀愀椀氀愀戀氀攀 漀渀 琀栀攀 䤀渀琀攀爀渀攀琀 愀琀㨀 栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀昀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀漀爀最ഊ ਀䤀 栀愀瘀攀 搀漀渀攀 愀 氀椀洀椀琀攀搀 愀洀漀甀渀琀 漀昀 攀搀椀琀椀渀最⸀ 䴀攀猀猀愀最攀猀 栀愀瘀椀渀最 琀漀 搀漀 眀椀琀栀 猀攀瀀愀爀愀琀攀 琀漀瀀椀挀猀 眀攀爀攀 猀漀洀攀琀椀洀攀猀 猀瀀氀椀琀 椀渀琀漀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀琀 昀椀氀攀猀 愀渀搀 猀漀洀攀琀椀洀攀猀 攀砀琀爀愀渀攀漀甀猀 椀渀昀漀爀洀愀琀椀漀渀 眀愀猀 爀攀洀漀瘀攀搀⸀ 䘀漀爀 椀渀猀琀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 洀攀猀猀愀最攀 䤀䐀猀 眀攀爀攀 爀攀洀漀瘀攀搀 琀漀 猀愀瘀攀 猀瀀愀挀攀 愀渀搀 爀攀洀漀瘀攀 挀氀甀琀琀攀爀⸀ഊ ਀吀栀攀 挀漀洀洀攀渀琀猀 洀愀搀攀 椀渀 琀栀攀猀攀 洀攀猀猀愀最攀猀 愀爀攀 渀漀琀 渀攀挀攀猀猀愀爀椀氀礀 洀礀 瘀椀攀眀瀀漀椀渀琀猀⸀ 䤀 洀愀欀攀 渀漀 挀氀愀椀洀猀 愀猀 琀漀 琀栀攀 愀挀挀甀爀愀挀礀 漀昀 琀栀攀 椀渀昀漀爀洀愀琀椀漀渀 最椀瘀攀渀 戀礀 琀栀攀 椀渀搀椀瘀椀搀甀愀氀 愀甀琀栀漀爀猀⸀ഊ ਀倀氀攀愀猀攀 爀攀猀瀀攀挀琀 琀栀攀 琀椀洀攀 愀渀搀 攀昀昀漀爀琀猀 漀昀 琀栀漀猀攀 眀栀漀 栀愀瘀攀 眀爀椀琀琀攀渀 琀栀攀猀攀 洀攀猀猀愀最攀猀⸀ 吀栀攀 挀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 猀琀愀琀甀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀猀攀 洀攀猀猀愀最攀猀 椀猀 甀渀挀氀攀愀爀 愀琀 琀栀椀猀 琀椀洀攀⸀ 䤀昀 椀渀昀漀爀洀愀琀椀漀渀 椀猀 瀀甀戀氀椀猀栀攀搀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀猀攀 洀攀猀猀愀最攀猀Ⰰ 瀀氀攀愀猀攀 最椀瘀攀 挀爀攀搀椀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 漀爀椀最椀渀愀琀漀爀⠀猀⤀⸀ഊ ਀吀栀愀渀欀 礀漀甀Ⰰഊ Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous ਀                                          匀琀攀昀愀渀 愀琀 昀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀漀爀最ഊ************************************************************************ ਀ഊDate: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 08:08:59 -0000 ਀䘀爀漀洀㨀 ∀䴀攀氀愀渀椀攀 圀椀氀猀漀渀∀ 㰀䴀攀氀愀渀椀攀圀椀氀猀漀渀 愀琀 戀椀最昀漀漀琀⸀挀漀洀㸀ഊTo: ਀匀甀戀樀攀挀琀㨀 匀愀氀琀 椀渀 䄀渀最氀漀 匀愀砀漀渀 倀攀爀椀漀搀ഊ ਀䌀漀洀洀漀渀 匀愀氀琀 䔀砀琀爀愀挀琀椀漀渀 椀渀 䄀渀最氀漀ⴀ匀愀砀漀渀 䔀渀最氀愀渀搀ഊby Melanie Wilson ਀ഊThe extraction of common salt (Sodium Chloride) in England was limited to two methods, coastal and inland extraction. Both were employed prior, during and after the Anglo-Saxon Period, often utilizing the same site or locale. ਀ഊDuring the early stages of Anglo-Saxon settlement only coastal extraction appears to have been practiced. At this time the sea level was rising, as the Roman coastal defenses eroded. As a result extraction sites moved back as the coastline altered, then in time returned to sites nearer our present coastline, as defenses were gradually rebuilt. As this happened huge amounts of peat were extracted, creating the area known now as the Norfolk Broads, and this peat was utilized to provide the fuel necessary for evaporation of Common salt out of solution. Coastal saline solution is far less pure and less concentrated than that found inland. Several sand leachings concentrated the solution. This was then boiled, evaporating the water and precipitating the Sodium Chloride leaving unwanted or dangerous metallic salts, which are more soluble, in solution. ਀ഊSites on coastal areas are found near woodland sites, and the Doomsday record indicates 64 salt producing villages in Norfolk. In Lincolnshire and Sussex there are 34 villages with multiple salt pans. Giving an estimated total of 360 salinae in the eastern coastal counties. ਀ഊAround 577 AD, we find evidence of Anglo-Saxon settlement in the Severn Valley, centered around present day Droitwich an area of natural brine springs, which had been utilized since the early Iron Age. There is evidence of Anglo-Saxon inland extraction in the late 6th Century at Upwich. ਀ഊThere was a huge advantage to inland salt production, especially in the Droitwich area as the brine from the springs there is unusually pure in Sodium Chloride, possibly even unique in it presents naturally as a saturated solution. Each extraction pit in the area has its own characteristics, even those separated by only 6 feet. The brine flow is regulated by artesian pressure and one particularly prolific pit at Upwich was calculated in one study as producing 589 gallons/hour. ਀ഊMuch of the information on salt extraction comes from linguistic and written sources. Later in the period, salt charters granting salt extraction rights, generally owned by local inhabitants can be found and records detailing salt tolls payable. ਀ഊSome sources indicate wic(h) as a signifier of a salt making site. However, Linguists generally define wic, to mean settlement or place, for instance, Droitwich was originally known as Saltwic (recorded 884AD). Wic is also associated with other trades, indicating for instance a specialized woodland area producing prepared sticks (hlot) for charcoal making, as in hlot wic. ਀ഊIn recent times, excavations have produced Archaeological indications of Anglo Saxon salt works, such as remnants of post holes, pot shards and charcoal, in a chemically altered soil indicating salinity. ਀ഊFrom these small clues it has been deduced that typical Anglo Saxon salt production utilized two or three shallow rectangular lead pans over each stone furnace. In conjunction with dating from charcoal samples an accurate picture is starting to be drawn up, which supports the later written evidence, available in greater abundance. ਀ഊReferences ਀ഊA. Bridbury, England and the Salt Trade in the Later Middle Ages, Clarendon Press, Oxford (1955). ਀ഊAdshead S A M Salt & Civilization Canterbury University Press(1992) ਀ഊK. de Brisay, The Red Hills of Essex in: "Salt"-the Study of an ancient Industry Press (1972) ਀ഊCampbell The Anglo Saxons Penguin (1991) ਀ഊCBA archaeological reports on excavations vol #107 . Colchester Archaeological Group, England (1975). ਀ഊStafford P The East Midlands in the Early Middle Ages Leicester University Press (1985) ਀ഊField English Field Names David & Charles (1982) ਀ഊFielding, Andrew Lyon Salt Museum discussions with.(1999) 01606 41823 ਀ഊFinberg H P R The Agrarian History of England & Wales Vol I-II AD 43-1042 Cambridge University (1972) ਀ഊGratten & Singer Anglo Saxon Magic and Medicine Oxford University Press(1952) ਀ഊH. Goswin, Coastal Peat Beds of the British Isles and North Sea, J. Ecology, 31, 217 & Fig. 12 (1943). ਀ഊHagan Anglo Saxon food,(1992) Anglo Saxon food & drink(1995) Anglo Saxon Books ਀ഊHopkinson Beatrice discussions with.(1999) ਀ഊHurst Derek , Worcester Archaeological Unit discussions with (1999) 01905 855401 ਀ഊJ. Ives, Remarks upon the Garianium of the Romans,the Site and Remains Fixed and described, I.D. Downes for Messrs. G.&J. Robinson, London (1815). ਀ഊLaing Anglo Saxon England Routledge (1979) ਀ഊLester The Anglo Saxons David & Charles (1976) ਀ഊSinger A History of Technology Vol II, Oxford(1956) ਀ഊWilson C Anne Food & Drink in Britain Constable (1973) ਀ഊWilson C Anne Waste not Want not Edinburgh University Press (1991) ਀㴀㴀㴀㴀㴀㴀㴀㴀㴀㴀㴀ഊCopyright Melanie Wilson 1999 ਀ഊ ਀䔀搀椀琀攀搀 戀礀 䴀愀爀欀 匀⸀ 䠀愀爀爀椀猀ऀ䄀匀ⴀ匀愀氀琀ⴀ䔀砀琀渀ⴀ愀爀琀ऀ倀愀最攀 ㌀ 漀昀 ㌀ഊ ਊ