[Terrapreta] More on clay/pottery etc

[rukurt at westnet.com.au]

Kevin Chisholm wrote:
> Dear Kurt
>
> That is a good point you raise. However, obviously, if the wood was on 
> the surface, it would rot, but in such submerged conditions, it does 
> indeed remain good for centuries. Is there perhaps some intermediate 
> condition of pH and oxygen, or particular micro-organism, where the 
> wood is "denatured" in a way that elemental carbon remains?
>
> Consider a peat bog... the vegetation is humified, and its blackness 
> suggests a significant degree of carbon. Consider also the so-called 
> "bog soils", which are definitely not "fire related", but which are 
> indeed black... the Northern Equivalent of Brazilian Terra Preta?
>
> It is an interesting puzzle indeed.
Indeed, but is there any *real* evidence of these ideas? We can 'blue 
sky' all sorts of things, but they need to be proven to become real. 
 From what I have see written it seems that all the charcoal in 
terrapreta is indeed charcoal and not something "charcoal-like". Or have 
I missed something?

Kurt