[Terrapreta] Terra Preta Signatures

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Dr. Reddy


>     ----- Original Message -----
>     *From:* Saibhaskar Nakka <mailto:saibhaskarnakka at gmail.com>
>     *To:* terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
>     <mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>
>     *Sent:* Wednesday, July 18, 2007 11:10 AM
>     *Subject:* Re: [Terrapreta] Terra Preta Signatures
> 
>     Dear Kevin Chisholm, Gerald Van Koeverden, Robert Klien, and all, 
>      
>     Thank you.
>      
>     Kevin: A Pottery Technology that pyrolysed wood, and heated their
>     kilns with
>     pyrolysis gases. Is there any evidence to suggest that such technology
>     was employed?
>      
>     This technology is employed even now in the rural villages in
>     India. The pictures I have posted in the website are live examples.
>     I am sure this practice was there since more than 5000 years,
>     evidences are there from Harappa and Mohenjodharo civilisations
>     (Indian subcontinent) and many more around the world including Terra
>     Preta of Amazon.

I couldn't see where the combustion chamber was of a nature that it 
worked from pyrolysis gases, rather from the complete combustion of 
wood. But that is not the issue... what kind of wood burning/pyrolysing 
technology were they applying in "the Olden Days?"

>      
>     Kevin: "Central Agriculture" where animals were confined and manure was
>     collected. Is there any evidence to suggest that such animal tending
>     practises were employed?
>      
>     The first prosperous civilisations in India, adopted mixed farming
>     (agriculture+animals). It is still common in India. Due to climate
>     change / recurring drought conditions majority of the people in the
>     semi-arid areas are adopting more and more livestock as compared in
>     the past, for coping.

Similarly, did the "Neo-Lithic Farmers" house their animals in a 
building, in a central location, where they had an opportunity to 
collect manure?
>      
>     Gerald: Did you did into the soil profile in thosekiln locations to
>     see the soil is black like in the terra petras? 

>     Yes the soil profile in those kiln locations is black.
>     I wish all the best in your future terra preta experiments.

Ash usually contains some carbon. Is the carbon at a level that one 
would expect with ash, OR is it carbon resulting from the production of 
significant percentages of char because of a pyrolysis process for kiln 
heating?

Best wishes,

Kevin

>     Gerald:(I'm just curious.  Since your last name 'Reddy', are you
>     from that caste in Hyderabad?  I just spent a year working there,
>     and every other person I met seemed to have that last name!)
>     (Yes, you are right, Reddy is the suffix for majority of the telugu
>     speaking farmer communities in Andhra Pradesh State) 
>      
>     Robert: It has been common practice and acknowledged safe practice
>     to dispose of ash and other combustion practice in manures and soils
>     since time immemorial everywhere.
>     Yes you are right, no useful material is wasted in the villages.
>     Although the villagers many not understand the intricacies, as we do.
>      
>     Dr. Sai Bhaskar Reddy