6000 year old charcoal

[BosnMate]

When Mt. Mazama (Crater Lake) erupted 6000 years ago, it buried the surrounding country under volcanic ash, or pumice, in some areas hundreds of feet thick. Oregon hiway 138 cuts through some of this pumice, in places quite deeply. Those cuts have exposed charcoal that's been there ever since the trees were buried in the hot ash. Only when you rub the charcoal, no black comes off, so I tried to get some to burn. No luck, the charcoal has taken in mineral and could possibly be called "petrified charcoal."
Here is what the cuts through the pumice look like.



And here is some exposed charcoal from 6000 years ago.

 

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[ronwoodcraft]

That's really interesting. I live about 30 miles north of Crater Lake, and never knew or thought about this.

 

[Sheperdess]

So if you were to dig one out would it stay in tact?

 

[adirondackjim]

I wonder if it might be like some of the Binchotan Japanese charcoal that takes much higher lighting temperatures and longer lighting times? Once lit, burns for a very long time.

 

[BosnMate]

So if you were to dig one out would it stay in tact?

No, it breaks up. I brought a couple of small pieces home this time, and it's very light weight. I'm going to try and light it. I have some other that is different that this, and that's the one I thought might be sort of mineralized.

 

[BosnMate]

I wonder if it might be like some of the Binchotan Japanese charcoal that takes much higher lighting temperatures and longer lighting times? Once lit, burns for a very long time.

I'm going to try and light it again and see what happens, I brought a couple of small pieces home and will try lighting it tomorrow.