[Terrapreta] Terra Preta Signatures

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Dr. Reddy

I am impressed with the parallels you draw. What you are doing may give 
fundamental insight into Terra Preta.

You seem to have made the connection "Potters dump char and waste into 
their manure pits, and then spread on the fields"

Two things that seem critical to the insights you are providing would 
seem to be:

1: A Pottery Technology that pyrolysed wood, and heated their kilns with 
pyrolysis gases. Is there any evidence to suggest that such technology 
was employed?

2: "Central Agriculture" where animals were confined and manure was 
collected. Is there any evidence to suggest that such animal tending 
practises were employed?

Best wishes,

Kevin



Saibhaskar Nakka wrote:
> Dear All,
> 
> If application of charcoal and other material generated by civilisations 
> is useful for application in the Amazon, I was searching for similar 
> signatures existing in India, which could be called "Terra Preta" ?! of 
> India. Since every civilisation would use all the best material 
> available locally / generated. http://e-terrapreta.blogspot.com/
> 
> The potters kiln, is found to be a natural contributer in this regard. 
> The left over material from the traditional potters kiln after baking 
> pottery items is a good additive for the soils. These kilns yield the 
> following material after burning, wood and straw (paddy straw), etc.
> 
>    1. Charcoal
>    2. Ash
>    3. Shreds of potter - some of them are broken during the baking process
>    4. Brunt soil used to coverup the kiln 
> 
> All the above components form a good additive for the acidic soils as it 
> is. The potter rarely shares this material with others, he uses it as 
> the most precious materail for his own fields.
> The traditional Terra Preta in parts of India.
> 
> 1. All the charcoal and ash collected from the respective stoves is 
> dumped into the Farm Yard Manure pits and then spread in the fields.
> 
> 2. The ash collected after cremation is immersed into the streams or 
> rivers, by the sons. A traditional ritual followed by all in India.
> 
> For some more details, photos see the link:
> 
> http://e-terrapreta.blogspot.com/
> 
> We could explore / discover such traditional wisdom, for application to 
> the present problems mitigation including Climate Change.
> 
> Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------