Iodine can be extracted from seaweeds. I understood that the burning of
seaweed was to reduce the volume for transport. None of the minerals should
have been destroyed. The bulk that was incinerated could be easily replaced
from peat or straw. This would have been an early attempt at fertilisers as
opposed to bulk manures.
By burning, the bulk is reduced to 1lb from 1 ton!!~~with loss of only
the carbohydrates.
Best Wishes. Brian.
"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
Sacha wrote in message
.uk...
martin1/5/04 11:00

On Sat, 01 May 2004 09:55:30 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

martin1/5/04 7:58

[...]
I remember watching a BBC archeology program about Scotland where
they
showed ancient pits where seaweed was burnt before being used on the
land. Is this what they do in the C.I.?

No, they just spread it on 'neat'. It rots down through the winter.

We wondered if anybody ever burnt it. We couldn't see the point.

Perhaps they thought the salt had to be burned off? I don't understand
that
at all because you'd think they'd realise that burning also burned away
the
nutrients. Are we sure these weren't just huge fireplaces for ceilidh
nights? ;-)
[...]

Isn't there some industrial process for which seaweed has to be burnt?
(I don't think they'd invented soap yet; certainly not gunpowder!)
And, for crops, burning it would give you the potash in a more
portable form, which may have been a factor at the time.

Mike.